The Third Parties
by MissTeak
Summary: She was the third party in his half-brother's relationship. Watching her get hurt over and over again, Sesshoumaru wanted to tell Kagome to let go. Yet he could not, not when he secretly wants to be the third party in her relationship with Inuyasha.
1. The Fourth Party in the Triangle

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. But then again, the one I wish to own is Sesshoumaru.

A/N: I should not be starting a new story, but here's another one that decided to pop up in my head. Other works such as Wisteria is still well in the works; partly because I have yet to develop the full plot for it, hence the temporary hiatus. Please bear with me as I work on it; it would not take too long.

Anyway, this new story here will be dealing with the painful situation of two overlapping love triangles. I am going to portray this story mainly from Sesshoumaru's perspective, which is something new for me. I believe it will elicit some emotions which some of us might have felt at least once in our lives, and I hope you will all enjoy this realistic (hopefully) portrayal of relationships.

**The Third Parties**

**Chapter 1: The fourth party in the triangle**

* * *

"Happy birthday, Inuyasha!"

_Whatever._

I pulled the string to the party popper dutifully, and my first task for the evening was fulfilled.

Inuyasha gave a startled cry as the other members of our family and close friends emerged from their various hiding places all over the living room, dropping his briefcase rather unceremoniously in his surprise. The "happy birthday" chorus soon evolved into a loud and rowdy birthday song when his girlfriend of three years, Kikyou, emerged from the kitchen with a homemade dark chocolate mousse cake in her hands.

The candles on the cake cast flickering shadows on her face, where a sweet smile was worn, and the birthday boy recovered from his shock soon enough to realize what was going on. He laughed, pulling the strands of streamers and colored tape out from his hair before someone put a rather stupid-looking party hat on his head.

The others, still shrouded in the shadows of the darkened interior, clapped and sang along as they shifted to make way for Kikyou.

Walking over to his girlfriend, Inuyasha returned her smile with one of his own, before giving her an affectionate peck on the cheek. He was obviously enjoying the attention, and appreciating the efforts she put in for his surprise party.

The song died, and momentary silence ensued.

"Happy birthday, Inuyasha." Kikyou said, before thunderous applause erupted. "Make a wish."

"Thanks guys!" Inuyasha inclined his head customarily at all the smiling faces crowding around him. "And you too, darling. Thank you for planning this."

Kikyou nodded in acknowledgement of his gratitude, and extended the cake further in his direction so he could make a wish and blow the candles out.

Closing his eyes, he made his wish as almost everyone else in the room watched with smiling faces.

_What was he wishing for?_

_What else could he be wishing for?_ I wondered cynically, though my face did not reveal any trace of my inner cynicism.

His eyes opened, and the smiles around him got wider.

He blew the candles out.

There was tumultuous applause and cheering once again, and I silently walked over to where the switches for the lights were, playing the role of the background character.

I switched the lights on, and duty number two was smoothly fulfilled.

I watched stonily as my half-brother raised his hand for attention and silence, before launching into a thank you speech, going on and on about the most clichéd things like how glad he was for having friends who cared.

Rolling my eyes would be a waste of time and energy.

"…and finally, I would like to thank my beloved girlfriend, Kikyou. You are the best girlfriend any man could ever ask for, and I am only too lucky to be able to find you among so many people…"

I turned away, and walked into the kitchen.

My stepmother Izayoi apparently noticed that, and she soon entered the kitchen. "Sesshoumaru?"

She knew Inuyasha was not exactly my favorite person on earth, but Izayoi had always been rather nice and caring towards me, so I try not to upset her. It was Inuyasha whom I disliked, not his mother.

Feigning interest in the party food laid out on the kitchen counter, I casually picked a tuna mayo sandwich up, popping it into my mouth.

"Feeling hungry?" She asked with a kindly maternal smile, and I nodded. It was a good to deliberately keep my mouth full; I did not wish to talk too much, lest I reveal things I'd never want her to hear of.

Picking a paper plate up, she placed pieces of salmon sushi, raw squid sushi and avocado shrimp _temaki _hand-rolls on it. "You should try this," She smiled, passing me the plate. "I spent the entire afternoon preparing the sushi platter. Go on, try it and tell me if it's good. Wasabi for you?"

I nodded. That's something I like about Izayoi, though we are not exactly very close. She knows when to change the conversation topic to lighten the atmosphere, something I appreciate in people since I never ever liked it when they probed into my feelings.

In other words, the reason why I got along with Izayoi despite she being the cause of my parents' divorce was the fact that she knew the right thing to do at the right time.

That was unfortunately, not a trait her son possessed.

He never knew what was right to do, yet he always expected others to do things right for him.

I took a bite of the skillfully-prepared avocado shrimp hand-roll, appreciative of the refreshing blend of creamy avocado, slightly salty shrimp and the light vinegar fragrance of the rice. The toasted seaweed used to wrap it added a crisp texture.

That was another thing I liked about Izayoi; she possessed excellent culinary skills.

"How is it?" She smiled expectantly, awaiting my response.

I chewed and swallowed. "Very good."

"Grade it, with ten as full marks."

"9.5," I replied, watching her smile widen. She was obviously pleased I enjoyed it, and I decided I should humor my stepmother before she started fussing over me. "The other 0.5 would be awarded if you could get me another one."

Her smile was almost contagious, and it wasn't before long when I received another expertly rolled _temaki_ hand roll on my plate along with a cup of warmed rice wine. She left surrounded in a cloud of Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea scent spray, and I was left alone in the corner of kitchen, watching as everyone else mingled around making meaningless small talk.

I ate in silence. Inuyasha was moving from group to group of friends with a glass of orange juice in his hands, doing his part in entertaining his guests as the birthday boy.

He always loved white wine, and we definitely had white wine at home down in the cellar. That just proved one thing – he was going to do what I expected him to.

And not quite coincidentally, what _she_ expected him to do as well.

Kikyou chose to walk into the kitchen then, holding a small paper plate with a slice of the dark chocolate mousse cake she had painstakingly prepared.

"Cake for you, Sesshoumaru?"

I couldn't possibly say no, right?

"Sure."

She passed the plate over. "Thank you for helping out earlier. I hope you're having a good time."

"You're welcome. It's nothing much, really." Which was true, considering all I had to do to 'help' was pull the string on the party popper and turn on the lights after Inuyasha blew the candles out. "Nice party, by the way."

"I am glad you think so," Kikyou smiled, though the smile did not exactly reach her eyes. She leaned against the refrigerator, obviously intending to talk to me.

"You know, I somehow feel Inuyasha is not really too excited about it. Maybe I shouldn't have made it a surprise party."

_Surprise, surprise._

"Why'd you think that way?"

She sighed inaudibly, disappointment evident in her eyes. "He told me he had to leave in ten minutes' time. Something about work, apparently…said he had to go back to the office to get something done urgently, and would be working till late. What am I supposed to tell the others who took time off to come to this party? I am so mad at him but I somehow know I should not be, since it is work we're talking about."

Her quiet voice was a stark contrast to the raucous laughter out in the living room. Did people really have that much to say to the likes of Inuyasha?

I did not know what to do or say in the face of Kikyou's disappointment, especially when I only knew too well where he'd be heading.

"I know work is important, but…" She started, before words failed her and she just gave me a resigned smile. Shrugging her shoulders, she walked over to where the bathroom at the back of the kitchen was. The door bathroom clicked shut, and I took it as my cue to leave the kitchen, my evacuation shelter in this misery I had to live through.

I had duty number three to fulfill.

Ironically, it was the only one I genuinely cared about.

Ignoring curious looks as I silently walked by Inuyasha without a trace of a smile, I briskly ascended the steps to my room on the third level. Entering and locking the door behind me, I picked my cell phone up and instinctively dialed the number I was too used to dialing.

It rang only twice, before her sweet, feminine voice was heard over the phone.

"_Hello?"_

I could hear her anticipation and excitement clearly from her voice. There was slow, romantic music playing in the background.

Ignoring the twinge in my heart, I said, "He's leaving in ten minutes."

The smile that must have lit up her beautiful features was practically in front of my eyes. I stared down at Inuyasha's BMW from my spot by the window – he hadn't even bothered to park it properly, evident of his intention to leave the house.

"_Thank you, Sesshoumaru. I should start grilling the steak now,"_ She said gratefully. _"Thank you so much for doing me this favor."_

Her gratitude and excitement only managed to exacerbate the discomfort somewhere in my chest.

"Yeah."

That was all I could manage.

Momentary silence ensued, and it was awkward, as much as I'd hate to admit it.

I continued staring at the BMW in the driveway.

She drew a deep breath, obviously trying to end the conversation as naturally as she could. _"So…I think I have to go-"_

"Kagome." I said abruptly.

"_Yes?"_

I wanted to say, 'no, please stop doing this' or 'why? Is he worth it? What did he do to deserve you?', but words failed me.

They always did, which was why we were all caught in this anguished situation which never failed to kill off parts of our hearts, bit by bit.

"…no, nothing."

A knowing silence on her part, and I knew she knew very well what I wanted to say.

But she chose to feign ignorance.

"_I shall get going then. Thank you Sesshoumaru, you're the best."_ She said almost inaudibly with the sentimental music in the background. _"Good night."_

"Good night."

I switched my cell phone off, knowing full well that there would no longer be any incoming messages or calls from her that night, not when she would most probably be enjoying a candlelight dinner and spending the night with him whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

He didn't deserve her.

I couldn't say I did – she was too perfect and lovely – but he definitely didn't.

I know very well I should be firm with her, perhaps coming clear with how I feel and perhaps, hoping she could see sense and leave Inuyasha before it escalates into a scenario which would hurt both Kikyou and herself.

But whenever she came to me for favors like this, I could never bear to refuse or ignore her. In some odd way, I would rather do something for her though it would kill a part of me, rather than witness her disappointment. That was partly because Inuyasha was the reason she interacted so much with me for – if their underground relationship ceased to exist, so would the Kagome-Sesshoumaru dependency.

I felt screwed up.

I tried telling myself countless of times that if I focused on everything wrong about my feelings for her, I might finally do something right.

For one, she was in love with my half-brother and I knew the feelings were mutual, so perhaps I should give up.

Secondly, she only contacted me regularly not because I truly mattered that much to her. Rather, I was the only way by which she could find out more about Inuyasha's day-to-day activities.

These two reasons should have been good enough, but no.

In ten minutes, perhaps five, Inuyasha would be breaking a heart to please one.

And the vicious cycle would repeat itself, with him breaking the latter to mend the former eventually. He would leave Kagome inevitably crying alone after spending that one hour with her in her bed, before calling an equally crushed Kikyou on his cell phone while driving back home, entertaining her with fancy tales of his "overtime work".

That was the typical pattern of the triangle they were in.

How he could bear to this to the two women who love him was beyond me. Neither Kagome nor Kikyou deserved this.

And I was the fourth party in this triangle. I was the imaginary angle in the possible quadrangle, hovering aimlessly, trying to strike a linear relationship with the point known as Higurashi Kagome.

Who was already caught up in a triangle with Inuyasha and Kikyou.

This was wrong. Utterly, hopelessly wrong.

Yet I found myself switching my cell phone on again.

As the start-up display appeared on the screen, I was once again reminded of the reasons why she wouldn't contact me that night. I closed my eyes at the hurt of knowing how willingly she would once again surrender her body and soul to Inuyasha.

Over and over again, allowing him to take and never give or promise anything in return.

But I kept my phone switched on.

Just in case she needed me.

Just in case she might need me.

_

* * *

_

To be continued…


	2. Hurt Raw

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Here's chapter 2, and it looks deeper into the complex network of relationships. On top of that, it also shows us Sesshoumaru's inability to deal with anything involving Kagome.

_**The Third Parties**_

_**Chapter 2: Hurt. Raw.**_

* * *

I heard the clumsy rumble of footsteps coming from the stairs behind me.

I ate faster, determined to leave for work before I allow my temper to take over and end up doing something I might regret.

"Good morning, everyone!"

I remained silent as the half-hearted chorus of "Good morning" echoed in return while struggling internally with the urge to stand up and leave the table.

"Mom, what's for breakfast?" Inuyasha asked almost too cheerily as he slung his blazer over the back of his chair and plopped onto his seat. "Damn, I'm absolutely starving…"

I noticed how Izayoi deliberately ignored the imbecile's question, taking a small sip of her morning coffee. Father did nothing either. All he did was push his reading glasses further up his nose bridge and continued to read the cultural section of the newspapers.

"That looks great! Can I have some of the stewed radish?" He asked, pretending to be oblivious to the atmosphere looming over the dining table. I resisted the urge to slam the plate of piping hot egg rolls right into his face.

His cheating, worthless, scum-face.

"Young Master Inuyasha, here's your breakfast," Our old domestic helper, Kaede, hurried out from the kitchen with a tray of freshly-prepared food. There was a bowl of fluffy scrambled egg _donburi_, stewed radish, miso-grilled mackerel and sesame dumplings by the side. "Please enjoy it."

Bowing courteously, Kaede turned to leave.

"Kaede, what's this? Don't you know I hate grilled mackerel?" Inuyasha made a face as he grumbled, stabbing at the slice of miso-grilled fish with his chopsticks randomly. Bits of the cooked fish fell over the edges of the porcelain plate to make a mess on the tray. He was a pain in the ass most of the time, but he was most probably being extremely crappy and childish this morning because he wasn't getting the attention he wanted.

I chose to ignore, and nodded my thanks as Izayoi courteously filled my cup up with chilled green tea, conveniently ignoring Inuyasha's annoying comments as well.

"But Young Master, I thought I heard you said you enjoyed the mackerel-"

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha continued his annoying rambling, picking on our old domestic helper just because he was so desperate for attention. "That was stewed, not grilled-"

"Kaede, please remove that tray."

Father spoke up abruptly, his eyes still glued to the article he was reading.

"Yes, sir." Kaede bowed and removed the tray, much to the absolute surprise of Inuyasha. Watching his irritating excuse for a face contort into a mask of surprise and indignity, I once again suppressed the urge to throw a punch in his direction. Thank goodness for Father; he could always save the day before it became violent.

There were so many things I could do to hurt him. I could easily make him regret he was born in the first place and regret having chosen to start a three-party relationship. I could forcefully take Kagome away, but that would most probably only make her hate me. I could easily ensure his failure at work and topple his so-called power base, leaving him with nothing.

But I also knew if I tried to destroy him, she would never ever forgive me.

She would only end up crying, and hurting herself further to protect him from me. She never knew, or seemed to care, that it would hurt me to see her like that.

"…but Father! I was only stating the truth-"

Father put the newspaper down abruptly, shocking Inuyasha into silence with his anger. "That's enough nonsense from you, Inuyasha. All I want you to do now is cease rambling, apologize to Kaede for your unappreciative behavior and call Kikyou immediately to apologize for last night."

"Oh, so that's the reason why you guys are all pissed off with me! Damn, you guys are overreacting. I'd think I had murdered someone with a chainsaw, seeing the grim looks on your faces. It's a fine Thursday morning for goodness' sake, stop making life any more difficult as it is for me-"

"Then where did you go last night?" Izayoi asked in a voice soft but firm nonetheless. It was usually this tone of voice she used that made Inuyasha realize the severity of the situation. "Why did you leave in such a hurry? You are my son, Inuyasha, but I believe Kikyou deserves an explanation from you. Everyone could tell how disappointed and upset she was, but still, she kept her smile on and kept all your guests well entertained. Your Father and I had to help make small talk to get the party going, even when the _birthday boy_ was nowhere in sight."

"I…" Inuyasha stared around the table indignantly, but deliberately avoided my eyes. This was the extent of how terrible and distrustful our so-called brotherhood was; he knew I was fully aware of everything that was going on, but he also knew I would never spill the beans on him because of Kagome's involvement in the picture.

"I had to rush back to work. I had already explained things to Kikyou; it's you guys who are making a big hoo-hah out of nothing. There's so much to be done at work!"

Father's brows wrinkled as he looked at Inuyasha suspiciously. "I put you in charge of the regional branch in Hong Kong prior to my retirement because you were complaining about the workload in the Japan headquarters. Hasn't the shipment to Hong Kong been settled since last week? What was there that was so important; you had to leave _your_ party halfway?"

Inuyasha gulped; his growing discomfort with the conversation was almost too obvious. I chose to hold my tongue, feigning disinterest in the conversation.

"Well, there were some unfinished issues with the export taxes…" He blabbered, visibly flustered.

"Were there, Sesshoumaru? You were overseeing the progress of the exportation from Japan, weren't you?" Father asked solemnly. He was obviously unhappy with Inuyasha's pathetic attempts at explaining himself.

All eyes turned in my direction as my name was mentioned. I hated it when I got such unwanted attention from people. The ball was now in my court, and Inuyasha was staring at me with eyes slightly widened, clearly anticipating the worst from me. He knew I was well-aware he had left the party for Kagome's place, not because of the export taxes issue or whatever he was trying to fool Father and Izayoi with.

_Devil, or angel…?_

My eyes met his, and I broke the connected gaze after giving him a small smirk.

"Maybe."

Inuyasha continued staring at me; I could feel his eyes boring holes into me. He must have been wondering the reasons behind me covering his ass up.

"What do you mean, Sesshoumaru?"

"I don't recall the exact details, Father, but I recall hearing of the issue from Myouga. So maybe there were some loose ends to be tied up." I continued, keeping my face nonchalant. My answer was not the best either, but I knew Father trusted me wholeheartedly when it came to anything work-related, or at least enough to believe all I say.

Inuyasha heaved a sigh of relief that went unnoticed by our parents, before turning back to Father and saying rather loudly, "See? Even he knows about it! Father, I was really busy with work, alright? You don't have to interrogate me like a common criminal!"

_Liar, liar. Fucking ingrate._

"Inuyasha! Stop that ridiculous behavior. We were just unhappy with the way you handled the issue…don't you feel Kikyou deserved better?" Izayoi said.

"Mom, I have already explained things to Kikyou, and she understands everything. Rather, what I am confused about is why you and Father are overreacting for nothing when Kikyou is perfectly alright with it." Inuyasha said irritably, before standing up and kicking his chair back into place. Grabbing his blazer, he rolled his eyes and walked over to the genkan. "Whatever. You guys are impossible. I'm leaving for work."

The door slammed shut, and Father shook his head at Inuyasha's usual hot-headedness.

"Father, Aunt Izayoi, I will take my leave. Have a good day ahead." I stood up from my seat as well, walking towards the door. I just wanted to leave before I say anything which I might end up regretting.

Walking towards my latest Jaguar X351, I found Inuyasha leaning against it, much to my annoyance, apparently waiting for me.

"Get off my car."

He made a face, but did not budge. "It's only a car, Sesshoumaru. Don't get so worked up. Look, I just want to thank you, alright?"

"You're dirtying it. Get out of the way."

"What the fuck is your problem, ice-cube?" His short temper once again got better of him. Raising his hands in exasperation, he moved away from my car. However, that did not stop his mouth from continuing to utter nonsense. "You helped me back there, not that I was asking for it, and now you're acting as if I owe you ten million yen. You can't accept a fucking 'thank you'? Just what is your problem?"

"You." I answered curtly and opened the door to the driver's seat. "Just get out of my face."

"Oh, yeah? Shall I remind you who the person who keeps probing into my affairs is? What goes on between Kagome and I is purely between us. I love her, and it is mutual. Get it clear? It is really none of your business, asshole. We do not need _extras_ running around, trying to get involved-"

I entered the car and slammed the door shut. He paused when I gave him a death glare, but regained his composure quickly. "So you should be the one getting out of _my _face, Sesshoumaru."

I remained silent.

"I know you're friends with Kagome, so on her account, I am not going to hold it against you-" He continued smugly, leaning against the side of my car once again.

"Fuck off." I said plainly in his face, and without warning, accelerated. From the rearview mirror, I could see him jump backwards and curse a barrage of obscenities directed at me, but could I care less?

No.

That disgusting imbecile.

How I hated his cringe-worthy statements.

But despite how irritating his tone was, Inuyasha did have a note-worthy point.

It was really none of my business when it came to what went on between the two of them. Who was I to care, or to get involved?

Yet I cared. I cared even when she begged me to leave her and Inuyasha alone.

It hurt so badly, especially when she knew of my feelings for her.

Driving along and listening to EXILE's 'yasashii hikari' playing on the car radio, I thought of the particularly bad incident which happened between us.

It took place two months ago, when they had a huge fight which ended in him threatening to break up with her. Inuyasha had to leave for a late-night movie with Kikyou though it was Kagome's birthday, and had lost his temper when Kagome asked repeatedly if he could stay with her for awhile longer.

Kagome had been absolutely devastated, begging Inuyasha not to leave, and crying that she would not mind being the third-party who had to be kept underground forever. That was the extent to which she liked him, not that I could blame her, for she had liked him ever since we were children.

She knew him way before Kikyou came into the picture, but what happened was, Kagome and Inuyasha never ever did make their feelings for each other known officially. I had always been the phantom hovering in the background, liking her secretly, and keeping Izayoi preoccupied with requests for food just so that he could sneak out to meet Kagome and go for puppy love dates at MacDonald's or MOS burger. They hardly even held hands, though they got along fantastically.

So they maintained this sort of unofficial status, until Inuyasha had to leave for Kyoto for his university education at Kyoto University. That was when he met Kikyou, who turned out to be the daughter of our father's prominent business associate. He definitely did like Kagome, but because there was never a spoken agreement or official relationship status between them, Inuyasha could have been said to be single when he got to know Kikyou.

They got together officially, much to the joy of Father and Izayoi, especially since Kikyou came from a prominent family as well. Kikyou was well…quite beautiful, smart and thoughtful, getting along well with all of us.

Kagome only found out about the relationship when she visited Inuyasha in Kyoto, after coming clean with her feelings for him.

Yet Inuyasha failed to do the right thing.

He was not decisive enough, a trait which I despised him for since childhood, and sure enough, inevitably started the vicious triangular relationship which proved to be the source of heartache for the most innocent third party. Kikyou was still blissfully oblivious, but Kagome knew. Naively, she believed that as long as he loved her, it was enough. I tried to make her see sense by all means possible – talking patiently to her, yelling at her, using scathing words to hurt her…but no, she still loved Inuyasha so unconditionally.

This made me recall the particularly bad incident that took place two months back.

She had called me up at 1am in the morning, crying uncontrollably about Inuyasha's threat to break up with her and how he had just left for Kikyou's place after slamming the door. In a fit of anger, he had lost his cool and shoved her aside, sending her crashing into the wardrobe. He had apparently told her he got sick of how 'clingy' she was, and how Kagome could 'never put herself in his shoes and think from his perspective'.

I saw red. I was furious beyond words, especially when I heard her cry so piteously.

I should have been happy to know he wanted to break up with her, but seeing her in such agony made me want to confront Inuyasha and force him to undo all the damage he had done to her. It was when I saw her bruised arm, the result of him shoving her aside against the wardrobe, that I completely lost my cool.

"_Kagome, what did he do?" I asked, sitting down by her side on the couch as I watched her sob uncontrollably. Her face was a mask of sorrow and agony as she cried. _

_This was not the way her birthday should have been spent. Why did life have to be so unfair to her? Was it just because she was a third party in a relationship?_

"_He…he wanted to…" She cried harder, shaking her head in helplessness._

"_Why would he say that?" I asked, grabbing her by both her arms. Instead of calming down, she gave a small cry of pain and doubled over._

"_Kagome, what's wrong?" I tried to grab her arms to take a better look at whatever was causing her distress._

_She shook her head through sobs. "Nothing, nothing! I'm okay…"_

_Her protests died and became helpless whimpers as I held her arm firmly and saw the angry-looking bruise that was beginning to form on her fair, soft skin._

"_Did he do this?" I asked angrily, only to hear her sob harder. "I asked if he fucking did this to you! Answer me!"_

"_I…I was careless, it wasn't really his fault-" _

_That gave me the answer to my suspicions._

"_I swear I'll kill him, Kagome. I'll fucking kill that imbecile." I said, standing up from my position on her couch, blind rage taking over every since fiber of my being. "I'll kill him…I'll destroy him."_

"_No! Sesshoumaru, please…no, please! Don't do this…I'm fine, really!" Her sobs were almost hysterical by then. "It was an accident! Just an accident!"_

_I gently pried her hand off my arm, stomping towards the door. I might have appeared to be extremely cool and composed, but the liquid fire running through my veins were fuelling the morbid thoughts running through my head. This might seem absurd now, but I had entertained the thought of running him over with my car, beating him to a pulp, or perhaps, set up a plot to bankrupt him and destroy his reputation at work._

"_Sesshoumaru!" Kagome screamed, trying to hold me back. She knew I meant it when I said I'd destroy Inuyasha. She threw herself against my back, holding me tightly. "Please, don't. Please! I know you care for me…but, it was really just an accident! He didn't do it on purpose…"_

"_Let go, Kagome."_

"_No…" Her sobs were dying, and she moved to stand in front of me, keeping eye contact with me. There was an unreadable blank expression in the usually expressive eyes of hers, but before I could anything, she whispered._

"_You are so mad at Inuyasha because you care for me, don't you? I know you're good to me, Sesshoumaru…but please, please don't go looking for Inuyasha…"_

"_He hurt you, Kagome. He literally hurt you. How can I not do anything about this?"_

_She placed a finger against my lips, silencing me. It was then when she started to unbutton her blouse, while I remained silent, too shocked to do anything. A tear rolled down her tear-stained cheeks. She threw her blouse aside, before giving me a sad smile and removing her pink cotton bra, leaving her standing topless in front of me._

"_You want me, don't you?" She whispered, moving forward to hold me tightly around the waist. I could feel her soft, feminine breasts pressed tightly against my chest, and I closed my eyes at the pain I was feeling. "I know you want me. Then take me, Sesshoumaru…just promise me you wouldn't go looking for him."_

_It was everything I had dreamt of, yet nothing like how I would have liked it to be._

_The pain was killing me._

_I wanted to push her right down onto the couch and take her for all I was worth. But I knew better than to do that – it would only mean regret on her part, and most probably greater hurt on mine._

_So all I did was remove my blazer and put it around her, before walking back into her living room. I turned the TV on and pretended to watch while she stood motionlessly behind me, crying silently._

As I reversed into my parking lot at my office, namely Taisho Electronics headquarters, I realized that even after two months, the pain was still as raw.

It hurt.

_

* * *

_

To be continued…


	3. Too darn awkward

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! You guys are great – your encouraging words and comments just spur me on to write more. Here's chapter three, enjoy! Kagome makes her appearance!

You might want to read this chapter with the song "Forbidden Love". Those who want it can just let me know! I'll send you the song file.

**The Third Parties**

_**Chapter Three: Too darn awkward**_

* * *

SENS' instrumental version of "Forbidden Love" was playing slowly in the background while I waited patiently at the restaurant, lending a solemn and melancholic touch to the air.

It was then when I saw the familiar figure at the reception area of the restaurant, clad in a tasteful royal blue boat neck dress. She caught my eye, waved and walked over with a lovely smile on those lips.

Those perfect lips which I'd love to kiss.

"Aloha Berry smoothie for the lady, please." I ordered with the waiter by our table. That was her favorite café drink.

"Thanks. Sorry to have kept you waiting," Kagome smiled, taking her seat opposite me. "I got caught up with an appointment earlier and only managed to excuse myself fifteen minutes ago."

I shrugged. "So, you have something to tell me?"

A shadow of disappointment and unhappiness flashed across her beautiful, feminine features, before it was quickly replaced by a mock, reproachful smile.

"Do I need a reason for asking you out to lunch?"

She must have thought I was making a reference to how she would only contact me because she needed me to help her with anything Inuyasha-related. But then again, that was what I had thought it to be. I was definitely not expecting her to ask me out for any other reasons either.

"I guess not." I replied, taking a sip of my café au lait. Passing the menu across the table, I asked, "What would you like to have for lunch?"

Her earlier unhappiness seemed to have dissipated along with the notes of piano lingering in the air, and she asked with a bright smile. "What about the couple lunch set? It seems really value-for-money, especially when we get a complimentary sashimi salad for two and a slice of cake for the lady as well."

"Sounds great to me. Besides, the main course would be your favorite potato gratin." I returned her contagious smile with one of my own. Waving the waiter over, I placed our orders. "We'll be having the couple lunch set."

"Alright, sir, for the couple lunch set, there will be a complimentary slice of cake for the lady. What choice of cake would the lady like to have?"

"Strawberry shortcake, please." We both said at the same time.

"With extra whipped cream." We added unanimously, before looking at each other with smiles that the waiter found rather amusing as well.

Looking at the retreating back of the waiter, Kagome turned back to look at me with an amused smile. "He must have thought we were some married couple or something."

How I wished it could be for real.

Instead, I was trapped in this pathetic rut, getting a cheap thrill from such little acts of coincidence.

"Most probably," I agreed. "You've always liked that, if I didn't remember wrongly."

She nodded, her eyes sparkling. This was the Kagome I liked – the contented one who was at ease with everything she had in life.

It made me happy to see her happy.

"Whipped cream is just perfect. Though I didn't expect you to commit it to memory," She said. "I know very well, you like rum and raisin ice cream for dessert best. As for cake, you love-"

"Black forest." We once again said the same thing.

Kagome laughed daintily. "Oh my, this is rather amusing, isn't it? Ironically, Inuyasha dislikes black forest cake or anything with a hint of chocolate in it. I bought it once for him, and he looked all weird and queasy. He claimed his all-time favorite would be strawberry shortcake."

_That fucking liar. _

He loved cakes with chocolate – that was why Kikyou had made the dark chocolate mousse cake for his birthday.

The only problem was, he could never decide between the dark chocolate mousse cake and the strawberry shortcake.

It was perhaps how my smile disappeared at the sound of the imbecile's name, for Kagome instantly changed the topic, her voice a little too bright to conceal the falsity.

"Oh, you know, I bumped into Miroku the other day at the new mall along Shinjuku area. Do you remember him? He used to be from our elementary school too-"

_Inuyasha this, Inuyasha that. What did he do to deserve her love?_

That was when I saw Kagome's smile sublime into nothingness, and she hurriedly looked away and tried to conceal her face from whatever was in the direction she was looking in earlier. She looked uneasy, and her face paled visibly.

"Kagome, what's wrong?"

She did not reply, but instead, pretended to be preoccupied with the condensed water droplets on the glass of her Aloha Berry smoothie.

"Hey, Sesshoumaru." Someone else called out to me. Turning, I was greeted by two familiar faces.

"Mr. Maeda, Kikyou, what brings you here?" I replied, suddenly fully aware of the reasons behind Kagome's uncharacteristic actions and her uneasiness. I stood up instinctively and shook their hands. It did not help that Kikyou was looking great and exuding confidence as always, unknowingly pushing Kagome further into the recesses of her own unhappiness. "Take a seat."

She knew very well who Kikyou was, but this knowledge was not mutual. Kikyou had never ever met Kagome, though she did hear from Izayoi that Inuyasha and I had a childhood friend named Kagome. The awkwardness felt from Kagome's side was steadily building up in the atmosphere, but there was no way I could have left Kikyou standing by the table while we were sitting down.

"Mr. Maeda told me I'd most probably find you here." She smiled amicably, sitting down at one side of the square table between Kagome and me.

"We came down to Taisho Electronics earlier to discuss the product order of the Bluetooth components, so I thought I should pop by and say hi before I get back to work."

The older man, who was the in-charge of the regional sales department at Kikyou's father's company, added, "I told Miss Kikyou this was where your Father and I used to frequent whenever we had business dealings in the past."

I smiled and nodded. "Father told me he is waiting for you to retire as well, Mr. Maeda, so the two of you can go for the trout fishing trip which you've always been talking about."

They laughed, and I continued.

"So how were the discussions going?"

"Finalized," She smiled. Kikyou was not a chatty person by nature, but when she chose to talk, this highly capable girl could always present herself confidently and sensibly. It was most probably this aspect of her which made up for Inuyasha's lack of common sense and tact.

"Nothing less expected from you, as always."

She smiled humbly, before realizing that Kagome had been left out of the conversation the entire time. "Pardon me, but this is…?"

Politely, Kagome looked up to smile at Kikyou, though I hoped Kikyou wouldn't notice how that smile never went beyond Kagome's lips. The latter's eyes screamed desperation for escape from this awkward situation.

_Awkward. Too darn awkward._

"Oh, this is Miss Higurashi. Higurashi Kagome." I introduced, casting a glance at Kagome. "She is a…friend of mine."

"Hello, Miss Higurashi. It is nice to meet you." Kikyou extended her hand professionally, and Kagome shook it. "I am Takemoto Kikyou, Sesshoumaru's…"

Kikyou looked at me and smiled somewhat amusedly, unsure of how exactly she should introduce herself without coming across as too informal.

"Future sister-in-law," Mr. Maeda added helpfully, though I felt like shoving my coffee right down his throat then to shut that big mouth up.

"Mr. Maeda!" Blushing, Kikyou retracted her hand while Kagome smiled awkwardly.

"What's with that embarrassment, Miss Kikyou? You see, Miss Higurashi, our young Missy has been seeing Young Master Inuyasha of Taisho Electronics for the past three years," He added, as if she did not already know that.

_Fuck._

But of course, who could blame Maeda? No one would ever expect to be caught in such an awkward situation, and Kikyou and Inuyasha's relationship was something that all the employees of the two companies knew about. A match made in Heaven, that was what everyone said.

"By the way, I am Maeda of the regional sales department at Takemoto."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Maeda, Miss Takemoto."

Kagome's anxiety was almost killing me. She was in agony; I could feel it.

"So, where are you heading off to?" I asked, hoping for Kikyou to take the hint and leave with Maeda, having completed the formalities.

She caught my eye and smiled a conspirical smile, thinking that I was trying to get them to leave because I wanted private time with Kagome. She must have thought we were dating. "We'll be leaving in a minute; Mr. Maeda has to get back to the office with all the documents. I'll be heading down to Ginza to meet Inuyasha for lunch…you know how he loves the Chinese restaurant, "_Din Tai Fung"_, there. Oh, is the dark chocolate fudge cake here good?"

I shrugged. Inuyasha had obviously groveled and managed to pacify his girlfriend, lying about work, work and more work.

"It is; I've tried it before. The fudge is creamy, yet not to the point of being overly-so." Kagome smiled politely.

"Really?" Kikyou smiled, before waving the waiter over. "I shall buy a slice for Inuyasha then. He needs his daily fix of chocolate like how I need to get caffeinated."

Kagome looked lost and confused as Kikyou placed the order with the waiter, for she had obviously heard otherwise from Inuyasha. I just didn't have the heart to tell her chocolate was something Inuyasha always had around Kikyou, which led to him being unable to eat it around Kagome, for it would remind him of the other girl.

Before I could say anything to make Kagome feel better, she had spoken up. "Your boyfriend…he likes dark chocolate cake?"

The way she said _'your boyfriend'_ was breaking my heart. It was so unsure and reluctant, yet she had no other option.

Kikyou laughed. "'like' is an understatement, Miss Higurashi. He loves it, to the extent of having to have it everyday. In fact, his birthday cake last night was a dark chocolate mousse cake."

"Oh. It must have been delicious."

"I wouldn't say that, since I made it. But we can always ask Sesshoumaru." Kikyou turned to look at me. "How was it?"

"It was excellent," I answered truthfully. "You could consider an alternative career in baking, Kikyou."

"Oh my, that's what Inuyasha had said too!" Kikyou smiled sweetly, the joy of being in love emerging faintly from beneath the professional exterior. "Ironically, he loves dark chocolate cake and Chinese food so much at the same time. Since Chinese restaurants never ever serve chocolate cake, I'd always have to buy it from elsewhere and bring it to the restaurant. He could never, ever decide between the two."

Kikyou's innocent statement about Inuyasha's love for two vastly different tastes, namely Chinese food and chocolate cake, held a world of hidden meaning to the suffering third party.

"_He could never, ever decide between the two."_

Mr. Maeda chose to add. "It's hard to come to a choice, isn't it? Especially when both options are just too good."

Kagome and I remained stonily silent, false smiles lingering on our faces as Kikyou continued talking.

"So that's why, this boyfriend of mine chooses not to make a choice, but happily enjoy the best of both worlds. I've always told him, he needs to make a proper choice before getting caught for sneakily bringing the chocolate cake in."

The other two blissfully oblivious parties laughed at the reference to Inuyasha enjoying the best of both worlds, not knowing that he was literally doing it with his romantic relationships as well.

Kagome looked as if she had been kicked in the gut then, her eyes blank and disoriented as she pursed her lips in what appeared to be a very weak smile.

I could not protect her from this harm, and I hated myself for it.

"Excuse me; I need to go to the washroom."

Bowing politely, she hurriedly strode in the direction of the washrooms.

She did not come back until Kikyou and Mr. Maeda had left the restaurant with the dark chocolate cake for Inuyasha.

"Kagome, I…" I started, not knowing what I could do or say. "I'm sorry."

Her eyes were so melancholic and helpless, but all she could do was flash me a small smile. She was trying so hard to be brave, but it was not working. "It is okay, Sesshoumaru. Really, it's not your fault that we bumped into Kikyou. You don't have to apologize for anything."

I took a deep breath. "You know, Kikyou is right. You should know very well, he has to come to a decision one day. Two women are not the same as two types of food. There would come one day when he would have to choose, and I don't wish to see you get hurt. I hate to see you in this state."

She remained silent.

"In these two and a half years, can you really say you've been happy? I've seen more tears than smiles. Where was the strong, confident and bubbly Kagome I knew since young? It's not worth it, Kagome."

"That's enough, Sesshoumaru. I'm fine, really. Just eat, alright? The food's getting cold."

She was already on the brink of tears.

She always claimed she was fine. But even so, her favorite potato gratin had barely been touched.

_

* * *

_

To be continued…


	4. If only

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: I know I've been having some form of sadistic joy in torturing our lovely Sesshoumaru and Kagome. Do you guys remember the anime episodes whereby Kagome was in dilemma because of Inuyasha's 'reunion' with Kikyou? That was when we saw the vulnerable, confused side to Kagome, and this is exactly what I am trying to portray here. I'm glad you guys like this so far!

**The Third Parties**

**Chapter Four: If only…**

* * *

Now, it wasn't as if she hadn't tried.

She did, she definitely did.

Kagome had tried to forget Inuyasha and this cursed relationship by breaking up with him on a few occasions under the pressure I exerted on her.

Unfortunately, these breakups never lasted, and it wouldn't be long before she went back to him. I did not know if it was a good thing, for she would be so gloomy after the breakup, and only cheer up once they get back together.

Kagome was not a stupid person; she knew very well indeed that this would get her nowhere, and she would only hurt herself further. Yet she could not help it, and as she put it, attaching herself to him was painful.

But detaching herself from him was even more so.

"_Let go, Kagome. Just let go of him."_

"_I can't," She sobbed, shaking her head affirmatively. "I can't let go of him, Sesshoumaru. Please, don't make me…"_

I couldn't understand her initially, but as I stood out on my personal balcony, gazing upon the faintly emerging stars that dotted the expanse of evening sky, did I realize how similar we were.

It all came to me.

We were so similar, caught up in the exact situation.

I realized I understood her perfectly, because just like she cannot let go of him,

I cannot let go of her.

In fact, I wouldn't even listen if anyone tried to tell me to let her go. I knew she might never ever be the girl who brings me the greatest happiness, all I wanted to do is to be there for her.

If one looked at this situation from a cost-benefit analysis perspective, my actions would be rather unexplainable. But there was always the word "irrationality".

Just like her, I held on stubbornly to the belief that she might give up on Inuyasha eventually and realized that I was here for her all along. To say that I was giving my all without expectations would have been a lie; I was definitely hoping for a miracle.

I've told myself; maybe I should just leave her alone. Yet when I gaze up at the sky again, all I want to is to be by her side, enveloped in her beautiful floral scent.

Then, I heard my cell phone ring.

No one else would call me after work; it could only be her.

"_Sesshoumaru?"_

Her voice was a breathy whisper, hoarse from what were undeniably tears.

"Kagome, what's wrong?"

"_I…I broke up with Inuyasha."_

Here we go again.

"Hm."

She sniffled, shocked into silence by my coldness towards her. I could practically see her doe eyes glassy with shock while tears fell as if they have a mind of their own. Higurashi Kagome had a magic touch she did not know of – her tears could break down any defense I had.

Conscience pricked me. I asked curtly. "For real?"

She sobbed, and coughed as she choked. My heart ached.

"Where are you?"

"_H-home."_

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Stay right there." I relented, and added just in case. "Don't do anything stupid."

I couldn't understand what was wrong with my idiotic step-brother. He was the luckiest guy on earth, but he did not appreciate what he had.

"Sesshoumaru, where are you going?" Izayoi asked in surprise as I ran past her at the stairway. Kaede was helping her lay out the cutlery for dinner. I could smell the fragrance of freshly-cooked rice wafting from the kitchen, but I was too worried to care.

"Out."

"Alright then, drive safe." She said, knowing better than to probe. "By the way, do you have any idea where Inuyasha is? It's already 7.30pm, but he's still not back yet."

I chose to ignore that question. He'd better not let me see him.

A few moments later, I was speeding down to Kagome's apartment. I didn't really care if I broke a couple of traffic rules along the way – she was way more important. From the parking lot, I could see that her apartment was dimly lit.

Running up the stairs two steps at one go, I knocked on her door.

There was no response.

"Kagome. Open up."

Still, there was no response. I strained my ears to listen for any signs of activity behind the closed door, but it was all quiet.

"Kagome. Can you hear me?" I pressed the doorbell rather impatiently, rapping sharply on the door.

A few moments of silence, and I started to panic.

What if she had done something to hurt herself?

Morbid images of Kagome lying motionless in the bathtub filled with bloodied water, wrist slit with a pen knife, flashed across my mind. The sick, coppery stench of blood hit me in the form of my active imagination.

_Calm down, Sesshoumaru._ I told myself. She could have just gone out to get some fresh air, or perhaps, to the convenience store nearby to grab a bite. It was after all, dinner time.

I pulled my cell phone out of my back pocket and dialed her residential phone number. The phone rang from inside the apartment, but still, no one picked it up.

The phone kept ranging, and every ring only served to make me more nervous. Somehow I felt like some invisible force had mercilessly dunked me into ice water and held me there as the anxiety fizzled and tried to force its way out of my system.

Where the hell was she?

I told her, just fifteen minutes ago, not to do anything stupid or go anywhere. She couldn't possibly have done so…right?

She must have gone out. There was no other reason for her absence. But then again, the lights were on. She had to be at home. If so, why wasn't anyone answering the door?

Such thoughts did nothing to calm me down. The anxiety grew like a malignant lump in me, threatening to cut my air supply off as my heart constricted with the unthinkable thought of losing her.

_Please don't let her do anything stupid to herself…_I prayed over and over again in my heart. She was a bright, bubbly girl, but the problem was, it made others around her overestimate her ability to deal with issues. She was nowhere as brave as she appeared to be.

My insides twisted in a sick spasm.

"Kagome!" I banged on the door.

It was then when I heard a small 'click', and the door opened by a tiny fraction.

"Sesshoumaru? Is that you?"

Her breathy voice washed over me like a soothing tide, dispelling the earlier fear and anxiety I had felt. Not that she would know, since my facial expression did nothing to betray my emotions.

The door opened wider, and there she was, standing small and vulnerable in the doorway, her red-rimmed eyes puffy from crying, looking at me forlornly.

_She is right here, she has not gone._

The raging blood flow in my ears stopped instantly, and it felt as if my world returned to equilibrium. I closed my eyes for a second. In that momentary liberation from my earlier anxiety, I did something highly out of character.

I closed in the distance between us, and pulled her into a crushing embrace.

She stiffened, but soon relaxed in my hold. However, I noticed how she did nothing to return the embrace. All she did was to stand right there and allow me to hold her, as if she was doing me a favor by allowing me to fool myself.

"Where did you go?"

She did not reply.

I inhaled the soft floral scent of her hair, before finally relinquishing my hold on her. She looked at me with a sad smile, before replying, "I fell asleep on the couch. I guess I was tired…"

Upon relinquishing my hold on her, did I realize how jarring the distance between us was.

The chipped façade I was wearing mended itself almost instantly, and I regarded her silently, waiting for her to say something.

"I'm sorry for making you come over at this hour." She tried to smile, but the upturn of her lips was weak and barely visible. "But…I really wanted to talk to someone…and…and…the only person I could think of was…"

Her words faltered, and she looked as if she was about to dissolve into heaving sobs once again.

I grabbed hold of her arm.

"Come with me."

Her eyes widened in surprise at my words. I couldn't blame her for being surprised, in the past, whenever she broke up with Inuyasha, we would just spend the entire night at her place. I would listen while she cried over the end of the relationship. I would simply lend her my listening ear while she cried herself to sleep on the bed.

I will pull the sheets over her, and then I'd leave.

"Sesshoumaru…?"

"You heard me."

Baffled but nonetheless compliant, Kagome came along with me. Just like Izayoi, she knew very well there was a purpose behind everything I did, and how there was no need to question.

Half an hour later, we have reached Yokohama. The spectacular night lights from the surroundings and shone brilliantly against the canvas of navy blue sky, pushing the stars into the background. There was music and the mundane noises one would expect from a bustling city everywhere, but it obviously did nothing for her mood.

"Why are we here in Yokohama?" She asked, confusion written all over her face. Unlike the old Kagome I knew, she looked so weary, drained and devoid of hope, and I was determined to change that.

I held her hand, and started walking towards Cosmo Clock 21, the towering Ferris wheel that overlooked Yokohama Bay.

"We're going to ride that."

"No, I don't want to." She was surprisingly firm in saying that, stopping dead in her tracks.

"You're coming with me."

"No," Her eyes were clouded with sadness, yet concealing a steely determination. "I don't have the mood for fun, Sesshoumaru…I want to go home."

"So? You intend to sit around and mope?"

She fell silent, her lower trembling as she drew a shuddering breath.

"And mope until he comes back to you?" I continued, her silence fuelling my frustration. "Are you going to allow him and the ghosts of your shared past to haunt you again and again?"

Her heart was so broken; she couldn't even be bothered to start picking the smithereens up.

I breathed heavily, watching her stare stonily at the ground between us. I knew her emotional turmoil was something difficult for her to overcome – after all, this was not the first time they had broken up.

It was more of the nth time, but unfortunately, it also happened to the (n-1) time she had sat at home, sobbed and moped until he eventually came groveling at her doorstep.

I hoped, fervently did so, that this time things would be different.

"Are you coming with me or not?"

I turned and walked ahead, and there was silence behind me as I took the few steps ahead. She had to walk out of this by herself; I could lend her a helping hand, but ultimately it was up to herself.

That was when I heard footsteps behind me.

I stopped and turned to look at her.

She caught my eye in that instant, and slowly, those beautiful lips curved into a small smile.

As I had said, her smile was contagious. I extended my hand, and she took it. I could still feel her sadness; it was rolling off her in waves, a mixture of pain, longing and regret.

That was just how odd our relationship was – somehow it was so intimate and distant at the same time, crossing the boundaries of everything that defined love and friendship.

I wanted to cross the boundary from friends to lovers. Once and for all.

When we were finally seated side-by-side in the passenger gondola of the Ferris wheel, I turned to her.

"Kagome."

"Hm?" Her eyes were still glassy and melancholic, staring blankly ahead. The passenger gondola was just starting to ascend.

"Listen." I said, while she continued staring ahead. "Look at me."

She turned, and I saw her lower lip trembling.

"Cosmo Clock 21 takes 15 minutes to go one full round." I said. "So until we get to the highest point, you have 7.5 minutes to cry. You can cry all you want. But listen to me…you are not allowed to shed a single tear after that. I want to see the old Kagome back."

"I don't even know who she is…" She whispered, her eyes welling up with tears. Her beautiful wavy hair framed her face as she shook her head. "All I know is that I miss him so badly…I miss him…"

With that said, she dissolved into heaving sobs, her slender frame shaking uncontrollably as she sobbed her heart out. Incoherently, she poured out bits and pieces of her angst, while I looked out at the supposedly breathtaking night scenery of Yokohama bay. It was far from breathtaking for me.

It had to be the longest 7.5 minutes of my entire life.

"I know he loves me…but…Kikyou…she…Kikyou loves him too..." She cried and sniffled as she fought to take in breaths. "Why…why does it have…have to be so hard?"

_It is really not that hard, Kagome. Can't you see that I am right here?_

"Sesshoumaru…" Kagome cried my name out. I turned to regard her fully, and the next thing I knew, she had wrapped her arms around my shoulders, holding me as tightly to herself as she could.

"I feel like I'm dying on the inside…It's so painful…so painful…I have nothing left…"

Hurt grew like a malignant lump within me, and I closed my eyes, hoping rather naively that it could hurt less in that way. For the very first time in my life, I found myself wishing fervently I was Inuyasha. I never had any trouble getting anything I wanted since we were kids. I was better in every aspect. Yet when it came to Kagome, I was a complete loser.

"There are many others who care for you, Kagome."

She cried and said something else, but her words were muffled as she buried her face in the crook of my neck. I held her, rubbing comforting circles on her back, trying to take some of the distress away.

"I'll always be here." I said softly.

She pulled back a little from my hold, and looked up into my eyes with her hauntingly beautiful ones. Droplets of tears clung to her long eyelashes, while the depths of her irises swirled with the melancholy she was suffering from.

I thought I heard her heart crack.

Just as I was caught dumbfounded in the beauty of her suffering, she whispered something that broke my heart into a million pieces.

"If only you were Inuyasha…"

That was when I heard a second crack.

And I was quite sure it wasn't her heart.

_

* * *

_

To be continued…


	5. Cry

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews. Don't you all find chapter 4 dreadfully sad? Well, this chapter will be even more so. Hope you enjoy it!

**The Third Parties**

_**Chapter Five: Cry**_

* * *

"If only you were Inuyasha…"

The words hit me like a sledgehammer. Blood pounded.

She might as well grab a carving knife and literally dig my pulsating heart out before mutilating it.

I believe, in that moment of pain, my facial expression must have given my feelings away.

Her teary eyes widened with the shocking realization of having said something so cruel, and the perfect cherry lips parted soundlessly, desperate but nonetheless void of words. Apparently, Higurashi Kagome realized how Taisho Sesshoumaru could actually feel pain.

I drew in a deep breath, trying hard to ease the conflicting emotions running through me. The dreadfully hot-headed, pompous Sesshoumaru in my younger days was threatening to resurface as the woman in front of me hurt me again and again.

Part of me wanted to knock some much-needed sense into her, using scathing words and cruelty as payback. She had after all, failed to consider my feelings. Why should I bother with hers?

Yet the other part of me softened when I saw her frantic and self-reproaching expression. She was genuinely remorseful for having said something so cruel and hurtful.

It made me think.

I know she was stupid, I know she was dumb. But she was in love.

It was just too bad for me; the one she was in love with was not me.

It was Inuyasha, my half-brother.

"Sesshoumaru…I…" The cherry lips met and parted again. "I didn't mean it…I'm so sorry. Please, don't be upset…"

She tried to reach out for me, but I moved away.

How could I possibly not be upset? It was the most painful thing.

Her tears started coursing down her already tear-stained cheeks as the initial wave of shock at her own words passed. Desperately tugging at my arm, she shook her head while maintaining eye contact with me.

"Please, please…I am sorry…I didn't mean for it to…"

"Forget it."

I closed my eyes. This was such a mess.

Pity it was otherwise known as life, and in life, we don't always have a choice.

"Sesshoumaru…please, please…I can't forgive myself if you won't forgive me…"

I cast a glance at my watch.

The timer mode read 7 minutes and 10 seconds.

"Stop." I said firmly. "Cease crying this instant."

Kagome cried harder at my indifference towards her, and the crying increased in volume as she said, "Sesshoumaru…if you choose not to care for me any longer, I'd really, really have nothing left…I can't do without you…"

That last phrase uttered from her trembling lips found its way to my heart. My heart of ice and stone was usually impenetrable, but Higurashi Kagome was the only one who knew the secret path to its interior. Right now, deliberate or not, she was definitely exploiting it.

I couldn't even imagine no longer looking out for her; perhaps sometime in the process of loving and caring for her, I had allowed myself to plunge into this familiar routine.

Without her, I'd perhaps lose direction as well.

"We've reached the top." I said stonily, staring out into the night scenery of Yokohama Bay. "Stop crying."

My tone must have been really harsh, for her ragged sobs died almost instantly into a series of wheezy, tear-choked breaths. I stared at her till she squirmed slightly under my gaze and fell completely silent.

"Cease crying this instant." I continued, staring at her intently as she nodded in compliance. "From now till we reach home, I don't want to see a single tear shed."

She nodded again and those eyes looked up into mine. "Then…are you still mad at me?"

I did not answer her.

"Please, tell me…will you always be there for me, Sesshoumaru?"

Desperation and pain tinged her voice; she was hurting so badly and all she wanted was assurance of companionship. I knew very well; she most probably did not mean it the way it sounded to me, but as I've identified since day one…this woman is my Achilles'' heel.

Against my logical thinking, I evaded her gaze and nodded.

I will always be there for her. Detaching myself from her permanently was just unfathomable.

Like how she had tried on countless occasions to give Inuyasha up, I have tried as well. I dated other highly attractive girls to try to forget her, but it wouldn't even be halfway through the date when I start telling myself how wrong it felt. It wasn't as if those girls were not attractive – Kagura was actually from Tokyo University as I was, and she used to be Miss Popularity. She was quite the lethal combination of wits and beauty, concealed under a sensuous smile.

Another of the girls I dated was Kaguya, who was a top model with one of the leading magazines in Japan and the Asian region. Her personality was not that fantastic, but nonetheless, I had been the envy of many men.

Their widely-recognized commercial beauty made a plain, sweet girl like Kagome pale greatly in comparison. But yet she was the one who haunted my mind as I went out with those so-called beautiful girls.

Love, when you peeled its surface off layer by layer, was never really about the looks. They matter to some extent, but could never be everything. A little part of me regretted having gone out with those girls and hurting them eventually because of my indecisiveness.

She smiled at me, a sad yet relieved smile.

"Thank you." She whispered, reaching out for my hand with her own. Her tears were dying by then, with only stains on her cheeks betraying her earlier crying.

I did not respond, but instead, led her closer to the glass where I had a magnificent view of Yokohama Bay and the impressive skyline of Yokohama at night.

Kagome gasped soundlessly, her eyes taking in the wondrous sights that greeted her so merrily. "It's beautiful…I've never imagined…"

We sat in comfortable silence as the gondola began its gradual descend, before she broke the silence by looking at me with a thoughtful smile.

"You know, Sesshoumaru… when we look at something from a different perspective…we do see something different, don't we?"

I nodded. I hoped she was referring to more than the night scenery that was Yokohama Bay. If she realized how she could take a step back, her vision would no longer be so myopic and revolve around Inuyasha and Inuyasha only. But then again, she was a woman in love.

Kagome had disturbingly displayed traits of selective vision – Her eyes saw me but she couldn't see. Her eyes saw Kikyou as well, but she acted as if she couldn't see.

She had selective hearing as well, unfortunately.

Her ears heard my words of advice but she did not register.

I hoped she would this time round. After all, it was the very first time she seemed to be able to come out and face the world post-breakup with Inuyasha. I tried to console myself with the fact that she was not moping and locking herself up in the confines of her apartment.

She was a stark contrast to the old Kagome I knew. But no matter how she changed, I still liked her, because the old Kagome was lurking somewhere underneath the gloomy surface. She was trapped there by the ghosts in her heart.

She used to be like the sun – having the most radiant smile that had the ability to bring light to me on the darkest of days. Her laughter was contagious, and those eyes had always sparkled brilliantly with hope and zest for life.

"_You should smile more, Sesshoumaru. You look really handsome when you smile."_

That was something she had told me in our younger days. Or more precisely, before Inuyasha got romantically involved with her in that underground relationship.

"Thank you for bringing me here," Our eyes met and she smiled. "I really appreciate your efforts, Sesshoumaru."

"Hn."

She smiled to herself again, most probably amused at my innate inability to deal with emotional declarations.

"Though you didn't really have to be so fierce, you know."

I looked at her questioningly.

Kagome caught my eye again and laughed in amused exasperation. "Earlier on, you were like, _'Cease crying this instant.'_…my goodness, are you always so stern with your employees and subordinates? You were so scary, you know? It comes as no wonder that everyone feared Taisho Sesshoumaru."

The way she imitated my voice brought about a small smile on my face.

"I thought for an instant, you were so mad at me; you were never going to care about me again." She said softly, her expression muting down into one that indicated she was at peace with herself. "I didn't like that feeling at all."

Hope blossomed in my heart. I was acting like a pathetic teenage boy hopelessly in love, hankering for scraps of attention thrown my way.

"You genuinely thought so?"

"Yeah…I felt empty…as if there was a Sesshoumaru-sized void in my life." She smiled. "I hate the feeling of losing things…"

"I'm still here."

"Will you always be?"

"Maybe." That was a lie; I would always be there for her.

She looked down upon her hands in her lap. As much as I know her well, I couldn't figure out what she could have been thinking.

"Then you should enjoy the rest of the ride."

"Eh?" She was surprised by my words.

"I paid 1400 yen for us to be here. You should at least enjoy the sights."

Her eyes brightened in that instant as she feigned annoyance. "Why, you…stingy creature! It is a mere 1400 yen! To think you're actually quite loaded…do you want me to pay you 700 yen?"

"That wouldn't be necessary," I replied. "You can pay me in kind though."

"Oh, that's a new one!" She laughed. "Do you remember the time when we were in elementary school, you paid for this custard cream bun I bought from the convenience store? I remember it was only 110 yen, but you kept pestering me for it. What a mercenary little boy you were, Sesshoumaru!"

I remember. How could I not? It was merely 110 yen; not even one per cent of the pocket money I received from Father. I couldn't care less about that tiny bit of money. Rather, I pestered her for it because it gave me a reason to dial her residential phone number and talk to her at night.

"And you, Kagome, were a gross little girl. You actually told me you'd throw up that bun and give its half-digested remains back to me."

"Did I say that?" She feigned ignorance thought those eyes were shining with mirth.

"Yes. Just as you were about to pretend to gag, I-"

"Told me that I'd never have to pay you back for that bun." She finished my sentence, and the atmosphere settled into a peaceful one, tinged with the warmth of fond childhood memories.

"And the abovementioned gross little girl developed the annoying habit of grabbing anything she liked from the convenience store and passing it to me when I was lining up to pay for it."

She laughed uncontrollably, giving me a friendly slap on the shoulder. "The items got more and more expensive each time, didn't they?"

I nodded in amusement. "It started off with a 110 yen custard bun, and then it gradually became a 200 yen fruit juice, and eventually, a 500 yen yakisoba bento…"

"That is what we call upgrading, Sesshoumaru." Kagome laughed, before she exclaimed in excitement. "Oh! You know what; we should pop by a convenience store later!"

"What, so you can rip me off again?"

She glared at me in mock annoyance. "I'll treat you to that 110 yen custard cream bun then. I miss the way we used to buy snacks and eat them while sitting outside on the sidewalk pavement. I sure hope it doesn't rain!"

I nodded in agreement. Those were the days.

"I remember how I was eating the omelet rice bento when the rain came crashing down…" She mused, looking out into the distance before turning to me. "And without a word, you threw your sandwich aside and held your school bag over my head."

I nodded again.

"You were completely drenched, while my head was dry. Izayoi was so worried you might catch a cold." She smiled at the memories. "We were so happy and carefree back then."

Hope once again blossomed in my heart. This time round, it would work.

I was sure of it.

* * *

As we ascended the flight of steps up to her apartment unit, Kagome was still happily munching away on some purple sweet potato chips.

"In the end, you still pulled the same stunt on me." I remarked in mock reproach. "Who ended up grabbing an extra bottle of shampoo and facial wash and shoving them to me right before I made payment?"

She laughed merrily, shoving a piece of sweet potato chip into my mouth. "Some things never change, Sesshoumaru. You should have figured that out by now."

It was then when she stopped dead in her tracks, her sweet potato chips forgotten as she stared ahead with wide opened eyes.

"Inuyasha…"

He was sitting on the steps outside her door, his eyes reflecting a blend of sadness, worry and guilt. Blazer thrown carelessly over his shoulder, necktie loosened…he looked like an emotional wreck with his weary facial expression. But when he saw her, those eyes lit up with relief and hope again.

Kagome looked at him helplessly, before casting a glance at me. Her lower lip began trembling, and her expressive eyes clouded over with a film of tears.

All my efforts had evidently gone to naught.

"Why is he with you?" Inuyasha asked, the pain evident in his voice as well. He was hurt, but then again, we all were.

Kagome looked down upon the ground at her feet, her shoulders shaking. "It is none of your business, isn't it?"

"Where did you take her?"

The second question was obviously directed at me.

I chose not to answer. What was there to say?

His short fuse obviously gave out on him again, for he stomped furiously towards me and gave me a good, hard shove. Being caught unprepared, I stumbled and crashed into the wall behind.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome cried out, pushing Inuyasha away and rushing to stand by my side. Looking at Inuyasha in disbelief, she screamed, "Are you crazy? Sesshoumaru came by because he was worried for me!"

"Are you alright, Sesshoumaru?" She asked me worriedly.

I nodded, moving such that she was shielded by me.

"You called me to break up with me, and the next thing I knew, you were with him! How can you do this to me, Kagome? I love you so much…" Inuyasha said, drawing a deep breath as if to soothe the inner turmoil he was facing. "I cannot do without you…"

I could hear her tears come again; it always happened.

"Please…you have no idea how distressed I was when you called me up just to tell me it was over between us. Why was your decision so sudden? Everything was going fine between us, wasn't it?"

"Inuyasha, please…that's enough."

I was hoping she would tell him to leave. _Just ask him to go, Kagome._

"Kagome…give me a chance. I really treasure our love…can you bear to see our relationship end so abruptly without a proper reason? You know how much you mean to me…" His eyes were already reddening, evident of his impending tears. "Give me a chance, please…"

"Get out of here." I said curtly, not knowing how to react in the face of his emotional display.

"Kagome…"

"Wait." Kagome spoke up.

The atmosphere was dead, as everyone waited with bated breath to see what she had to say.

She moved such that she was standing in front of me. Her tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she made no effort to dry her eyes.

"Sesshoumaru…"

I looked at her stonily, hoping with all my heart that she would say the words I wanted to hear.

"Just go back first, alright?"

The hope I harbored died like a flame in a hurricane.

She was right; some things will never ever change, and I should have figured that out.

I naively thought it would turn out different this time round, but alas, it was still the same old vicious cycle.

Repeating again and again.

Once again, the hurt must have been evident in my eyes.

She was going back to him. All my efforts had gone down the drain.

"I'm sorry…I'll call you, alright?"

I walked away, without a second backward glance.

"Sesshoumaru!"

It was only when I was back in my car did I fully understood why I chose not to look back when she called after me.

Just like Inuyasha, my eyes were red-rimmed.

_

* * *

_

To be continued…

A/N: Please review! If I can take three hours to write this, surely you can take three minutes to tell me how you feel!


	6. Giving up for real?

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for all your lovely reviews! I'd love to reply all of them slowly, but my evil school essays are keeping me from that. I'll definitely get back to you guys once I am done!

I know I've been really mean to poor Sesshy, but I promise, it will only get better from now. Kagome needs a reality check, and it won't be long before it comes looking for her. You guys have been lovely readers; here's chapter 6 for you. Hope you like it!

**The Third Parties**

_**Chapter 6: Giving up…for real?**_

* * *

My cell phone vibrated yet again.

I had deliberately switched the ringing mode to 'silent', but still, the vibrating alert of the incoming call could still be felt. It broke the silence, the desolate silence I was hiding in.

It was already two in the morning, and she was obviously finding it difficult to go to sleep.

Just as I was.

I turned in my bed and pulled the quilt over my head to block out the dull hum of my cell phone vibrating against the mattress. Also, I wanted to avoid seeing the lit up screen and her name flashing across it.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. Bad idea, since breathing underneath a blanket supposedly decreases oxygen intake. I had no idea if oxygen intake had any scientific links to mood and emotions, but I felt more miserable than I already was.

Ironical, wasn't it?

I wanted to avoid her by not picking up any calls, but yet I was placing my cell phone by my pillow on the bed.

I wasn't planning on picking any of those calls up, but nonetheless, it didn't stop me from periodically checking my phone to see if there were any more missed calls or text messages.

I would grudgingly watch the phone vibrate and hum away as she tried to reach out to me. And the instant the flashing lights and vibration ceased, I would check the text inbox or voicemail.

Pathetic, wasn't I? But then again, just as she was a woman in love, I think I qualified as a man in love.

I had been doing some thinking about this entire mess known as life.

Initially after that fateful night at her apartment, I had driven back to Yokohama. The Ferris wheel was no longer lit up as the night grew older and wearier, the winds grew colder and I ended up strolling along Yokohama Bay alone.

A few tears, betraying my trust in them not to fall, fell traitorously.

I had hurriedly wiped them off. It was a display of weakness.

My face must have remained as impassive as ever, but I was akin to an ocean undercurrent at that point; calm on the surface, with an indescribable amount of turmoil churning beneath.

Wild thoughts, random in their nature, crossed my mind as I walked along aimlessly.

I thought if only I could be more expressive with my words like Inuyasha was, she could understand my feelings more.

I thought angrily over why she could be so blind; wasn't I obviously the better choice? I was the more successful one, I had no other strings attached unlike Inuyasha, and I always made it a point to make sure she never felt alone. Then another thought crossed my mind.

Was there such thing, as a better lover or a better choice based on credentials? Could I really put a grading system on love, such that I score an A+ while he scores a C-? I kind of figured it was not how things work out in reality – this was a realm my victory could not be ensured. If it was academic studies, sports, work performance…perhaps.

But this was love.

And it was clear for all to see that I was emerging the loser.

I had always tried to fight back, to achieve what I thought I rightfully deserved. Each time she fell, I was there to pick her up. Each time she cried, I was there to listen, to dry her tears. Each time she thought she was dying, I would save her.

But this time, I was tired.

I was weary.

I was at my limit. Maybe beyond, but maybe there was still a little capacity in this vessel called Taisho Sesshoumaru to take more.

This stubborn thought made me want to pick her phone calls up, but I was afraid I would get singed in the process of doing so again.

Pathetic, wasn't I?

The vibration of the cell phone ceased, and my bedroom fell back into a comfortable silence and complete darkness.

Almost instantly, my traitorous hand reached out for my cell phone. The words on the screen read, "Twelve missed calls".

So it was twelve. I had lost count of it.

It happened every night for the past week, and with every passing day, I was getting more and more ill-tempered. I blew my top at Kaede just two days ago when she asked if my blazer needed to be sent for dry-cleaning. I ignored Izayoi, much to Father's unhappiness, when she asked why I was eating so little at dinner and offered to prepare supper for me.

I was hurting those who cared about me.

While getting hurt by the one who couldn't really be bothered to care.

What was wrong with me?

Instinctively, my thumb moved over to the 'dial' button, intending to reconnect myself with Higurashi Kagome.

But as I almost applied sufficient pressure on the button to dial, her facial expression and the words she told me that night resurfaced in the recesses of my mind. Logic clashed head on with instinct.

"_Just go home first, alright?"_

That was what I got after having done so much for her.

Was it even worth it?

No.

No, it wasn't worth it. Not in the least.

Like it or not, I was just a convenient life buoy. The only thing that kept me from thinking so was my naïveté.

I would move on.

From this instant, I would have nothing more to do with her and her complex affairs.

My thumb moved away from the key pad, and I tried to go to sleep.

'Tried' being the key word, I knew very well, I was in for yet another long sleepless night.

* * *

At four in the morning, I figured I was not going to get any sleep. Her face haunted me the moment I closed my eyes, and somehow staying awake doing other things was the only way I could get her out of my mind.

It was like a numbing process through which I was going. Desperately looking for things to occupy myself with, getting snappy at anyone who tried to come close to me…that was essentially what I had been doing for the past seven days.

I decided I wanted to watch some re-runs of programs from National Geographic in the comfort of my bedroom.

I could just hide there with a good coffee and lose myself in the interesting factual contents of whichever program I can find.

Slowly opening my door, I went downstairs into the kitchen, only to find it already lit. There was someone else making coffee at four in the morning, and as amber met amber, I stopped dead in my steps.

"Hey."

It was my half-brother. Or should I say, my rival in love?

I nodded in acknowledgement of his greeting, not trusting myself to speak lest we get into yet another argument.

"Coffee?" He asked, and I nodded again. I hated the atmosphere in the air; we interacted more like a pair of hostile strangers than half-brothers who grew up together. Our kitchen was not too spacious, but it felt harshly cold without the touch of familial love.

He nodded, and surprised me as he reached out for my mug, spooning instant coffee mix into it.

"Thanks." That was me.

That was quite nice of him. In that instant, he did not look half as irritating as he usually did.

Once again, he nodded but did not respond. Was he thinking what I was thinking? Were we both afraid of using words for fear of saying things we never should have said? We were both sleepless at this hour, depending on coffee for sustenance, undoubtedly being bothered by the same things on our minds.

The aroma of coffee and the soft clinks of the silver spoons against the mugs were the only things occupying the kitchen. We were simply like ghosts hovering in the atmosphere.

He was soon done with preparing the instant coffee, and gently placed it in front of me.

"Thanks." I grabbed the mug, ready to go back into my room to escape the mounting discomfort in my heart.

"Sesshoumaru."

"Hn?" I stopped in my tracks, indicating my attention to his words.

"Look, I'm really sorry about that day." He began, drawing a deep breath before he continued. "Kagome was really upset over how I jumped to conclusions and you know, pushed you against the wall. I was just…too blinded by anxiety. No hard feelings, yeah?"

I remained stonily silent.

The apology was acceptable, and it was a petty matter anyway. I had done worse to him when we were children.

But what was wrong here was how he was completely missing the point.

He was righting the small wrongs, apologizing for his ruffian behavior. However, he did not realize that these small wrongs he was so prone to committing stemmed from the larger wrong in which he was indulging.

It was the triangle relationship that was so fundamentally erroneous, not his act of pushing me or yelling at me or whatsoever.

Inuyasha practically grew up with me, so he knew my silence meant that I've heard every word he was saying. I guessed he did not expect a reply, for he silently walked past me, obviously going back to his room.

"Wait."

He stopped and looked over his shoulder at me.

"Do you really think this is the right thing to do?"

"Huh?"

"Do you think what you're doing is right?"

"What do you mean?" His tone held a subtle defensive edge.

_Fucking liar, you know what I mean._

"This triangle relationship," I said. "And the feelings of the two women caught up in it."

"You're not me, Sesshoumaru."

"So?"

"You wouldn't know how I feel." He said, evidently frustrated as I opened the gateway for his pent-up emotions to escape.

"I know for one that Kagome has always been miserable ever since she got together with you. I suggest you do something about this…cursed relationship, before I step in and help you with it."

"What are you're talking about?"

"Kikyou is still blissfully unaware, isn't she?"

Realization dawned, and his face froze into a mask of horror.

"No…no you can't do this!" He practically yelled, the coffee in his mug sloshing dangerously at the rim. "Kikyou would be devastated if she hears about Kagome…and Father and Mother would know about it too…"

"Kikyou? Is she all you care about?" I asked icily.

"Please…" That was the first time I've ever heard Inuyasha plead with me, and the feeling was horrible. "I…I love them. I love both of them so much. I can never imagine a life without Kikyou, but neither can I imagine it without Kagome. Damn it!"

"Then why is it that you are so much more merciful to Kikyou?" I asked angrily, now that he was revealing more of his emotions. I couldn't understand why he had to choose to drag himself into such a situation. "Why do you allow Kagome to be the one who gets hurt over and over again? What's with the preferential treatment?"

"You know very well what my relationship status with Kikyou is! We're an official couple-"

"So you're saying Kagome is an underground lover? Why does she deserve to stay hidden while Kikyou gets official recognition from everyone else? Have you ever spared a thought for her?"

"But Kikyou's father is Father's business associate! It is more than just a regular relationship-"

I glared at him in disbelief. "You're implying that the relationship with Kagome is less important just because she doesn't have a hot shot public figure father? Then why are you still tormenting her? Just let her go!"

"Stop fucking reading into every single word I say! Why are you so concerned anyway? Is it even your place to care, Sesshoumaru?"

Blind rage was threatening to take over my rational thinking, and I couldn't care less if anyone else heard this. "If it involves Kagome then it is!"

Silence reigned as we stared at each other, each too furious to back down. He stared at me, and in that instant, I saw the same hurt and confusion residing within those amber pools. Were they a reflection of my feelings, or did they belong to Inuyasha?

I did not hold the answer to that.

It was then when he broke the silence. His eyes were accusing.

"You love her too…don't you?"

I tore my eyes away from his, breaking the eye contact.

There was another lapse of silence as I chose not to answer his question.

"I knew it…I had that feeling all along…I should have known earlier." Inuyasha muttered before he spat bitterly. "So that's why you were always trying to get involved in our affairs. It's more than friendship, isn't it! I should have known…you're such a pompous fucker, yet you're always so good to her…"

I refused to comment.

_So what, Inuyasha? _

_So what if I love her more than you can ever be capable of? The one she loves is you, not me._

"You say you should have known earlier…" I replied coldly. "Then what about Kikyou? I swear, Inuyasha, there will come one day when she will tell you straight in your face. 'I should have known earlier.'…and by then, it will be too late."

"Stay out of this, Sesshoumaru. I'm warning you; stay out of this! Leave Kikyou alone…she's innocent!"

_And Kagome isn't?_

"I would stay out; if you would do something smart for once. I wonder what will happen if your mother found out she has two potential daughters-in-law instead of one."

"Oh, yeah? Didn't it cross your brilliant mind that Kagome would be hurt in the process as well?"

"It beats seeing her hurt all the time."

"Don't you dare try, Sesshoumaru."

"Try me."

Inuyasha's mouth opened to reply, but before he could say a word, we heard another voice down the hallway.

"Boys? What are the two of you doing at this hour? I heard noises, so I decided to come down…"

"Fuck." Inuyasha muttered under his breath before shooting me a death glare.

It was Izayoi, her eyes squinting as she emerged from the darkness of her bedroom to come down to the brightly-lit kitchen.

"Mother, it's nothing. We just happened to come down to the kitchen for some coffee…"

"Coffee at this hour?" She asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Aunt Izayoi. I just needed a coffee to stay awake to finish reading some document files, and he happened to be here as well."

Inuyasha visibly heaved a sigh of relief.

"Alright then, get some rest, boys. Both of you have to work tomorrow…it's not good for health to stay up late."

"Yes, Mother."

I couldn't hold it in any longer; the blind rage was pulsating within me like a vile vibe, threatening to consume all in its wake. Rationality flew out of the window while invisible hands in my brain tried desperately to salvage scraps of it.

As mother and son turned to exit the kitchen, I called after my stepmother.

"Aunt Izayoi."

She turned, looking at me kindly while waiting for me to go on.

"I believe there's something you have to know."

Inuyasha whirled around, his eyes widened and frozen in fear. I could virtually sense his peaking anxiety and genuine fear.

"What is it, Sesshoumaru?"

"I think you should know about this," I said, staring at Inuyasha the entire time as his eyes darted around fearfully. He looked at me with an unreadable expression – was it fear? Was it discomfort? Was it hatred?

"You see…" I started as Izayoi looked at me attentively. Inuyasha looked as if he was ready to have a major heart palpitation.

"This brand of coffee is a little too bland."

He visibly sighed with relief as Izayoi fussed over the remaining instant coffee mix.

We shared a long, hard gaze.

He looked away angrily, stomping back to his room.

He was obviously furious, but I was confused.

Haven't I just decided an hour ago that I would no longer want to have anything to do with Higurashi Kagome?

* * *

To be continued…


	7. Wedding Bells of Doom

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: If you have found the earlier chapters dramatic, wait till you see this one! Thank you to all of you lovely readers, who ranted, cursed, cheered and praised this story – every review is appreciated! You guys are the best, and it is precisely because of you that chapter 7 is here so soon. It's payback time, and we'll see more emotional turmoil, confusion and pain!

I did not mean for Sesshoumaru to get someone else before he gets together with Kagome, but I'll be factoring in the suggestions of him doing so. So as you can see, this is how powerful your reviews are!

**The Third Parties**

_**Chapter 7: Wedding bells of doom**_

* * *

"_Today, I walked by the convenience store where we last bought sweet potato chips at. Unable to resist the sudden urge to enter, I walked in, and bought a packet of the same sweet potato chips. I tore the bag open eagerly after paying for it, but to my dismay, found the taste to be entirely different."_

I scrolled down, reading every word in the blog post intently.

"_Did they alter the recipe? Or was it because I lost the person who shared it with me?"_

Does it really matter to you, Kagome?

Do you really mean every word you type in your blog?

Inuyasha was after all, still with you. It wouldn't matter if I was missing.

"_I know I've done him injustice. In fact, I've done him so much injustice, I don't know if I can ever undo this damage. I hate myself for it, for he is the best friend a girl can have."_

A friend. That was all I was, right?

Nothing less, but…nothing more either.

"_He might be reading this post, but I'd never know, I guess. I want to talk to him. It has already been two months. Please…you know who you are…don't give up on me."_

You know, Kagome, if you had said this on that night a month two months ago, things would have been different. But just as you need yours, I got my reality check.

"Sesshoumaru? What are you looking at?" A sweet, sultry voice sliced through my thoughts. I hurriedly closed the page and pretended to be engrossed with some month-end reports from the accounts department.

The sultry scent of the classic Chanel No. 5 wafted across the room, enveloping me in its seductive web.

"Surprise!" A neatly wrapped present was revealed. "I bought you a new tie…let's see if it suits you."

"Thank you," I nodded politely, looking up from the computer screen. "Kaguya."

She bestowed upon me a smile, one which some men would give an arm and a leg for.

As the enigmatic creature in front of me busied herself with helping me try the new necktie on, I thought to myself, if Kagome was always on the rebound, wasn't I committing the same mistake as well?

Maybe it was fated, but Kaguya came back into my life three weeks after that fateful Yokohama Bay night. We were launching our latest camera into the market, and Kaguya was chosen as the campaign model for the much-anticipated launch. Anything endorsed by Kaguya was bound to sell like hot cakes, and true enough; pre-order sales reports have been anything but disappointing.

I was a man after all, and she was an extremely attractive woman. Dressed in an elegant burgundy satin dress with an open back styling and a sweeping full-length hemline, Kaguya sultrily played peek-a-boo with the unforgiving lenses of the camera. The chain of diamante trailing horizontally across the base of her flawless back added an unbearably feminine touch that would, undoubtedly, raise the sales levels of both the camera and the dress by a substantial degree.

Her undeniable beauty caught me off guard when she was in a particular pose for the camera, which was most probably frustrated with being unable to capture any visible flaws.

Holding our latest camera seductively with her thumb and index finger, Kaguya stood back-facing the photographer, showing off her commercially-perfect supermodel body. As the photographer counted down from three, she tossed her midnight hair and looked over her shoulder to smile for the camera. The smile lit up the entire studio more brightly than I thought possible, and as she arched her back in a subtle change of poses, the gentle curve of her side breast seduced the camera once again.

I was supposed to oversee the shooting of the ad and nationwide campaign posters, but I found myself unable to look away. Instead, I settled for standing behind the photographer in the darkness of the studio, watching her dominate the limelight effortlessly.

A few more frames, and it was done.

"Alright, take a 15min break! Miss Kaguya, please get ready for the next frame." The fashion photographer declared. She nodded and bowed customarily to everyone on the set, and in that instant as she turned around, our eyes met.

Her professional 'working' smile was instantly replaced by one which was sincere, though tinged with a slight hint of awkwardness. Those vivaciously seductive eyes softened.

I stepped forward into the spotlights shining down upon us and stood right in front of her.

"It's been awhile…how have you been?"

It must have been the lights; they made her look ethereal, like a fairy descended from the heavens.

"Never better," She replied, her eyes somewhat clouded with emotion. After all, we had once dated, though nothing had come out of it because I was too hung up on Kagome. "You?"

I shrugged, giving her a half-smile. Have I been doing well? If being driven to tears and being gloomy and snappy for the past three weeks counted as well, then perhaps, yes.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but Miss Kaguya, we need to get changed into the turquoise chiffon dress now…"

Smiling apologetically, she allowed her personal stylists to lead her to the dressing room. It was then when I found myself taking the first step in moving on with my life, a life that no longer revolved around the girl named Higurashi Kagome.

"Kaguya!"

She turned back to look at me.

"There's a new Italian restaurant at Ginza which I'd like to try out....and I'd be honored if you could go with me."

Kaguya looked genuinely surprised at my words, before a radiant smile accentuated by the softest glow of lip gloss graced her face. "I'd love to."

On the surface, Kaguya was just like any other supermodel. She was gorgeous to say the least, and she knew it. Years of being in that dog-eat-dog modeling industry have taken away much of her innocence. All it had left behind was a beautiful girl who feared losing out to her rising competitors, and had the tendency to grab at benefits and opportunities whenever they crossed her path.

It was partly the reason why I avoided her in the past – it was clear for all to see that Kaguya had wanted to be with me officially. She did not even mind if her popularity would dip because of an open relationship. But in the process of doing so, she got overly possessive, and was a tad too quick in jumping to conclusions about our relationship status. That was, at that time, unfathomable, for I was still hopelessly obsessed with Kagome. Kaguya would get upset and furious with me for dragging the relationship on and on, and it was on that note that I gave up entirely on her and went back to pining for Kagome.

Deep down, if one thought about it, it was not quite worth it, was it?

I tried to reason with myself. Here was a girl who practically had it all – beauty, fame, popularity and most importantly, genuinely wanted to be with me.

So what if she was highly possessive? It only proved that she wanted me very badly.

So what if she spoke only the language of Cartier, Chanel and Hermes? I could well afford those as gifts.

So what if she threw tantrums easily and refused to talk to me at times? It just showed how she wanted me to shower her with attention.

Kaguya was an easy girl to understand. No heavy emotional burdens, except for the occasional bout of loneliness and insecurity. She had never ever played mind games with me or tried to do so.

She had so many characteristics flaws when it came to relationships because she genuinely cared. Kagome, on the other hand, was so perfect in my eyes simply because she did not care as Kaguya did. There was no display of possessiveness, eagerness to meet or countless phone calls on the most trivial topics.

As I had already established, I was most probably her substitute boyfriend. A convenient life buoy she had when she fell overboard into the sea, but somehow she would never swim to shore using this life buoy that was me. Rather, she would painstakingly clamber up that ship known as Inuyasha again, and get thrown overboard again as it was already overcrowded.

The entire drama with Inuyasha, Kikyou and Kagome would no longer be my concern. I had entertained thoughts of exposing Inuyasha's 'achievements' in front of Father, Izayoi and Kikyou. It was the fastest way of getting things done.

But a few late nights with nothing but a mug of bland coffee got me thinking otherwise. Sure enough, telling on Inuyasha was easy as a piece of cake. Rather, I was thinking about those who were left after the storm passed.

Firstly, Kikyou. I was not very close to her, but if you know Kikyou, she was generally a girl who went about doing her own stuff, mindful of others' boundaries. Driven, serious and intelligent, she was a nice person to interact with. Be it business, or the latest movie in town, Kikyou was always collected and pleasant. She would give something her all if she deemed it worthy, and unfortunately, she deemed that imbecile very worthy indeed.

If I were to expose Inuyasha's wrongdoings, she'd undoubtedly be crushed.

Secondly, Izayoi. This was another woman whom I hated to see get hurt. She was not my biological mother, but after so many years of living under the same roof with her and receiving selfless care and love, I had long established her identity as the maternal role in my life. To see her shed tears over her stupid son's mistakes…that was not what I wanted either.

Last but definitely not least, there was Father. Father would most probably not allow himself to reveal any sadness, but he would be terribly upset since he doted on Kikyou and was very approving of her relationship with Inuyasha. On top of that, if Kikyou broke up with Inuyasha over this, Father would be put in a spot in the corporate world as well. Kikyou's father, Mr. Takemoto, was Father's good friend and important business associate. That would bring Father a great deal of unhappiness, and that was the last thing I wanted for him to go through.

So instead of plunging in and drowning on everyone's behalf like I've been doing, I've decided to be selfish. I stepped out of this quadrangle entirely.

I've only seen Kagome twice in these two months, watching her silently from a distance as she went to work. That was all. I did not pick up any of her calls, and sure enough, the number of missed calls dwindled day by day. It used to be 'twelve missed calls' at one go, but now, it was perhaps only two. She had somehow gotten the idea that I was not going to talk to her ever again.

It was not that I did not want to.

It was precisely because I knew I wanted to, that I couldn't do it.

I already had someone else…right?

"There! You look great," Kaguya smiled as she stepped back to judge how the tie looked on me. "I think yellow suits you really well."

"You think so?"

She nodded. "I wish I could pull yellow off though…that's most probably the only color I cannot wear. My stylist from Vivi magazine commented that yellow made me look somewhat jaundiced," She added with a pout. "So maybe I should just stick to red."

I nodded. "You look fantastic in red."

"Really?" She exclaimed in surprise, though I was very sure she was well-aware of it. She was a fashion supermodel, for God's sake.

I nodded again. "Remember the Cartier Trinity pendant I gave you? You should wear it with that red dress you wore for the photo shoot; I think it will look stunning on you."

That was how conversations with Kaguya usually went. It wasn't as if she was stupid – supermodels were nowhere as stupid as people liked to claim they were. Rather, as two individuals, we just could not clique on a deeper level.

But at the very least, as I tried to tell myself again and again, she was true to me. She could never connect with me the way Kagome could so naturally, but Kaguya also spared me a lot of heartache.

"What are you thinking about? I was trying to get your attention for the past minute…" She asked, wrapping her slender arms around my waist.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something else." I said. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Oh, I was just saying, Chanel's Fall-Winter 2009 pre-collection has the loveliest white satin-quilted clutch with overlapping double C logos-"

"You like that one?"

She smiled, looking at me endearingly as she leaned in for a soft kiss on the lips. "Well, I thought it would go nicely with the Valentino Fall 2009 Collections blue and black silk dress you got for me…you know, you promised to attend the movie screening next week with me, and I was thinking of wearing it…"

"We'll go for dinner at Ginza now, and place an order for the Chanel clutch later."

"Really?? Thank you, Sesshoumaru! You're the best!" She smiled radiantly, giving me a tight, affectionate hug. Kaguya's joy came so easily…unlike Kagome, who could never really be happy due to the constraints she placed on herself.

As I felt myself get lost in the passionate kiss Kaguya initiated, I thought to myself, this was the better arrangement.

Wasn't it?

But why was it, as I was furiously kissing the girl widely hailed as Japan's current top model, did I think of a simple, sweet-looking girl sitting along in her apartment, eating instant ramen and watching the 7pm drama on NHK?

* * *

I opened the door to the living room area softly. It was already past eleven, and Father and Izayoi should already have gone to bed.

But to my surprise, I found everyone congregated in the living room. It was already so late, but Kikyou was there as well, and feminine laughter rang throughout.

'"I'm home." I announced customarily.

"Ah! Welcome home, Sesshoumaru," Izayoi stood up from her position on the couch and waved me over. "Good that you're back; now we can come to a decision!"

"What decision?" I asked, genuinely confused over the excitement in the air. I sat down across them on one of the couches.

"You see, son, there are four of us here, so we need a fifth vote to come to a decision." Father said, his wizened eyes shining with joy. "Take a look at this."

I reached out and took the magazine from his hand, and saw two baby cribs on the page they were at.

Baby cribs? Whatever for?

Then it dawned on me and I turned to stare at Inuyasha. He squirmed under my gaze, and turned away such that he was staring at one of the baby and motherhood magazines on the coffee table.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

"Kikyou's almost two months pregnant!" Izayoi announced, putting her arms across Kikyou's shoulders as the latter smiled bashfully and nodded in bliss. Father was absolutely beaming with joy at the prospect of having a grandchild, and Izayoi was equally excited to be a grandmother.

"Congratulations, Inuyasha, Kikyou." I extended my hand, and they both took it. Kikyou's handshake was a lot more sincere and warm in comparison to Inuyasha's though. "When did you find out about the pregnancy?"

"This afternoon," Kikyou replied, smiling the entire time. "I felt a little dizzy, and one of the colleagues insisted that I went to see a doctor."

"And it turns out that we're going to be grandparents! And you, Sesshoumaru, an uncle! Isn't that lovely?" Izayoi clapped her hands together in obvious joy.

"So…what're we going to do?" I asked involuntarily. It did sound like a horribly stupid comment in retrospect.

Father roared with laughter. "This boy must be too excited over the idea of becoming an uncle…what a question to ask, Sesshoumaru. Of course they are going to get married, and we'll all be family! That's the best news our family has had in a long time!" Turning to Izayoi, he continued. "Now, now, my dear, please do not stop me from having a few rounds of drinks with my sons tonight! And Sesshoumaru, remember to cancel your plans for tomorrow; we'll be meeting Kikyou's family officially to discuss the details of the marriage. We have a lot to discuss, so rest early tonight."

I nodded silently.

Marriage.

Inuyasha and Kikyou's impending marriage would have its foundations laid on Kagome's heartbreak.

How was she going to take this piece of news?

What was she going to do from now?

"Sesshoumaru, we need your opinion on this one!" Izayoi interrupted my thoughts. "I know it's a little too early, but we were trying to choose between the white and the yellow baby crib! Kikyou and I are for the yellow one, but Inuyasha and your father find the white one nicer."

"The white one has a state-of-the-art star constellation projection system and an in-built audio-"

"Darling, Kikyou is not giving birth to a NASA astronaut. We're having a little baby, and look at how adorable those little fluffy chicks on the yellow crib are! The carvings of fairies at the edges are so lovely, don't you agree, Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes, they are." I replied half-heartedly.

"I like it that it has a higher railing, which would be safer especially if the baby learns how to walk." Kikyou added, still smiling bashfully as Inuyasha held her hand throughout the entire time.

So you guys are happy.

What about her?

Despite myself, I could feel a growing worry build up within myself. I was terribly worried for her.

It was then when Father said something that made my head snap up.

"We'll announce this piece of good news to everyone at our company's annual dinner, which is in three weeks' time. It will also be an engagement dinner for the two of you. Do you have any objections or alternative ideas to that?"

Kikyou and Inuyasha looked at each other, smiled, and shook their heads.

"We'll invite friends and relatives on top of company employees, so Sesshoumaru, I want you to see to it that the venue is changed to a larger one. It would be good if it has room for at least eighty tables, a long aisle and a stage."

"Yes, Father."

"We'll work on the guest list then, Darling." Izayoi said to Father, who nodded in agreement. "We have to invite all your siblings, the cousins, business partners, the governor, our board of directors, and personal friends like our neighbors, Inuyasha and Kikyou's ex-classmates and friends like Miroku, Kouga, Ayame…"

"And Miss Higurashi too," Kikyou added, failing to notice the way Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. "I ran into her when she was having lunch with Sesshoumaru at the café near the headquarters building. She's such a lovely person."

_Fuck. I cannot allow this to happen._

"Kagome-chan?" Izayoi asked. "I agree with you, she's such a sweetheart. Beautiful, kind-hearted and lively…any guy who dated her would be really lucky, don't you agree?"

Izayoi directed the question at Kikyou as they smiled and nodded, but their eyes were on me.

"Spill the beans, Sesshoumaru. Are you seeing Kagome? Or thinking of dating her? We'll be inviting her to the engagement dinner, so that would create a perfect opportunity for you!" Father came straight to the point while the females, including Kaede, laughed.

I could feel Inuyasha's eyes boring holes in me, while the rest anticipated my answer.

"No, I'm not." I replied. "What makes you think I was?"

"Well, I saw you guys having lunch at the café…" Kikyou started.

Izayoi continued. "And though I didn't mean to pry, I saw this Tiffany and Co. bag on your table this morning when we were changing your bed sheets. It was obviously for a very lucky girl."

Inuyasha was still staring at me.

"It's not Kagome." I said as a matter-of-factly. "I'm seeing someone else, though."

"Do we know her?" Father asked.

"I guess…you most probably would know her, but not personally."

"So who is this mystery girl?" Kikyou asked, her eyes shining with curiosity. Inuyasha tried to look disinterested, but I could tell he was dying to know as well.

I looked at them and said flatly. "You do know who Tsukihara Kaguya is, don't you?"

Gasps were heard as incredulous smiles lit up all the faces around me.

"Oh my god. You've got to be kidding. Anyone who has walked by the female fashion magazine section in any bookstore would know who she is!" Kikyou said, staring at me incredulously.

"Yeah, that's her. We are only dating."

"Please ask her to drop by for dinner some day, alright?" That was Izayoi. "So that's the lucky girl whom the Tiffany and Co. jewellery was meant for!"

"Is she very famous?" Kaede asked in confusion as everyone else laughed.

"Famous? Tsukihara Kaguya is beyond that. She is immensely popular in the Asian region, which is why she has been chosen to be our new camera's campaign model." Izayoi explained.

Father smiled in mock resignation and gave me a pat on the back. "You're making me jealous, my son. How did you manage to get her?"

That got him a slap on the thigh from Izayoi, which elicited laughter throughout.

"Oh! I remember! It's that lady in the long red dress on the TV commercials for the new camera? Isn't she the same girl in the commercials for the cosmetics, travel agency, instant diet soups and fruit jelly drinks? I heard from the entertainment news that she was voted Japan's most beautiful female celebrity this year…" Kaede finally realized who Kaguya was, and was now rattling off the almost-uncountable list of endorsed products she had.

I nodded as everyone lost themselves in conversation over my relationship with Kaguya.

Ironically, I felt nothing. They seemed to be so much more excited than I was about dating Kaguya.

All that occupied my mind was the poor girl who would soon receive the news of the man she loved marrying someone else.

_

* * *

_

To be continued…


	8. Star studded

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Once again, thank you for all those lovely reviews. I am still amazed at how our review column became a discussion board! But of course, I appreciate all your views and suggestions, and will try my best to include some of them in my story. I think "dramatic" has become an understatement when it comes to this story, so I hope you enjoy chapter 8!

Just so you guys would know, I modeled (no pun intended) Kaguya's characterization based on Ebihara Yuri, arguably Japan's top model. She's absolutely gorgeous; you can google her name and see for yourself!

This is more of a short filler chapter because MissTeak here has THREE DAMNED TERM PAPERS to complete by Sunday, and I just couldn't resist writing this chapter.

**The Third Parties**

**Chapter 8: Star-studded**

* * *

The dining table looked like a war zone as stacks of paper with contact lists of family and friends, guest lists, seating arrangements, banquet menus, banquet hall floor plan, program list and whatsoever not were strewn all over. This was the family table, where Father, Izayoi, Kikyou, Inuyasha and I were sitting. This was otherwise known as Team A.

The ad-hoc team B formed by members from various departments in our company was hard at work in the living room, planning the seating arrangements and table allocation for all the employees. The sounds of people talking over their cell phones simultaneously could be heard throughout the house.

"Sesshoumaru, I'm asking you one last time. Is it confirmed that the hotel management has gotten back to us on the postponement?"

"Yes, Father."

"Darling, this is the fifth time you're asking poor Sesshoumaru this question! Hasn't he already answered you? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. So get that in your mind and stop being paranoid! You might want to help me sort this list out, while Kaede contacts my personal stylist and asks if she can do Kikyou's makeup and hair for that night."

That was my step-mother. She was obviously under a great deal of pressure, and my father's paranoia over the postponement of the engagement dinner was not helping in the least.

"Inuyasha, have you confirmed the total number of photo frames needed for door gifts? Or are you still counting? What? You are? Hurry up, for goodness' sake! They need the numbers as soon as possible if you want Kikyou and your names engraved on the photo frames."

That was also Izayoi again, and it was rather ironical and amusing since she just scolded Father for being paranoid. The guest list was almost completed, and what we were working on now is the seating arrangement for the banquet.

Izayoi was busy planning the seating arrangements for the family and friends, slotting in acquainted people at the various tables in order to avoid any possible awkwardness.

"Oh dear, I just realized something."

"What is it?" Kikyou asked, looking up from her door gifts catalogues.

"Kagome-chan doesn't know anyone else there except for us." Izayoi replied, looking through the list again. "It's alright then, she'll sit at the main family table with us. Is that alright with you guys?"

"No!"

That was Inuyasha, and everyone turned to look at him in surprise at the sudden outburst.

"Inuyasha, what's with that inappropriate reaction? Of course it's alright; why would that be a problem?" Father asked as Kikyou nodded in agreement. "I thought all of you liked Kagome-chan?"

Like? Father, if only you knew. "Like" is such an understatement in this case.

Inuyasha tried to explain himself. "I…I mean, she's not even family, why would she have the right to sit at the main table-"

He was obviously desperate; desperate to come out with something to change our parents' mind.

"What? I can't believe you just said that, you terrible boy. That was really mean." Father commented incredulously, shaking his head in mock horror. "Kagome is your friend, isn't she?"

"Your father's right, you silly boy. Why are you suddenly so hostile towards Kagome-chan?" Izayoi chided, smacking Inuyasha gently on the head with the guest list. "As the hosts for the night, we have the duty to make her feel comfortable. How can you just…slot her into some random table full of strangers and leave her all alone? Don't you agree, Sesshoumaru?"

"Hn."

There was nothing else I could say.

"See? Everyone is for Kagome-chan sitting with us at the main table. Inuyasha, you ought to be ashamed of yourself for behaving like such a petty little boy at such a grand old age. You'll be a father soon and you're still so childish."

"But, Mother, Kagome would have no one to talk to-"

"That's nonsense. There's always your father, Sesshoumaru, you and I! Besides, Kikyou dear has met Kagome-chan as well. She can talk to her." That got a nod and a kindly smile from Kikyou. Inuyasha fell deathly silent, unable to say another word in the face of his growing dilemma.

Izayoi continued. "She can always talk to Miss Tsukihara as well, if she felt more comfortable talking to the girls."

"Kaguya?" I asked. Were they expecting me to ask her to the engagement dinner?

"Of course, son! You're dating her, aren't you? It is only customary to bring her to the engagement dinner. Besides, it is _Tsukihara Kaguya_ we are talking about." Father made it a point to emphasize her name, earning a glare of mock annoyance from Izayoi again, much to everyone's amusement.

"I'm sure she'd love to be there." I replied flatly.

"We'll send her an official invitation then." Izayoi said, adding with a smile. "For all you know, Sesshoumaru, she might become part of our family in future."

To be brutally honest, that had never ever crossed my mind.

* * *

"Feeling nervous?" Kaguya asked in concern as the limousine pulled into the arena where we would soon grace the red carpet. Her slender, tapered fingers wrapped themselves around my hand and she squeezed it gently. "Just smile at them, and ignore questions which are not too appropriate. It's not too difficult, really."

The limousine came to a complete halt, and the doors opened to reveal a sea of flashing white lights, light sticks and shrill, ear-piercing screams from what I figured were crowds of avid fans. Enormous blown up posters of Kaguya dressed up as the legendary moon princess whom she acted as in the movie, were all over the arena.

I thought there was no longer anything that would surprise or shock me, but this was…woah. It was truly a star-studded event. I recognized a few other celebrities who were already being hounded by paparazzi. The masses of ardent fans lining the impressive length of the red carpet, groups of paparazzi, security, waiters and waitresses who moved around with circular trays of fancy cocktail drinks…it was the high life that one saw in magazines and on TV, but had never ever dreamt of experiencing.

I stepped out first, walking over to Kaguya. We were both clad in the latest apparels off the Valentino runway, which was another one of the perks of being a celebrity, and I knew it was only going to fuel more talk on how 'picture-perfect' we were.

But even as I reached out and held the perfectly-manicured hand of the girl looking mesmerizingly flawless in a black silk tube gown with a black chiffon ruffled skirt which had a slit all the way up to mid-thigh, I was thinking of the girl who was most probably watching the live telecast of this event in her apartment.

She would most probably be sitting on her beat-up couch with a cup of instant ramen, shoyu soup base, while her fat cat Buyo lazed by her side. Knowing her habits, she would have just had her shower. Her long hair would still be limp and damp as she tried to dry them with a towel draped over her shoulders.

She'd look nothing, nothing at all, like the girl by my side.

How would she be feeling if she saw me right now?

Would she be sad? Would she be envious? These thoughts were running through my mind.

We had not even walked ten feet when a mobile crowd of paparazzi rushed towards us like bees attracted to the fresh summer blooms.

"Miss Tsukihara, you're looking absolutely gorgeous today."

"Thank you." Kaguya smiled, standing straighter with her head held high as shutter lenses clicked away merrily.

"How do you feel about this movie premiere? I understand it is your first time undertaking a leading role as mythical Princess Kaguya of the moon…do you feel that it is the coincidental similarity with your name that earned you the much-coveted role, or is it more than that?"

A politically-correct smile was followed by laughter that seemed to betray no trace of her frustration at being asked such an absurd question.

"Well," Kaguya looked around her at the elaborate and glamorous décor of the movie premiere arena before regarding the paparazzi graciously.

"I can't express fully in words how honored and happy I am to be here. As a;; of you already know, this is the second time I've ventured out of the modeling world into the film industry. There's still a lot for me to learn and get used to. As for this movie premiere…everything's so well-prepared…I love the gorgeous traditional Japanese décor and contemporary art fusion theme, the fans and the special preview. Director Totosai gave me a call earlier and told me how this wonderful movie premiere would make all of our hard work over the past few months worth it. He is right indeed. As for the coincidence of my name with that of the female lead…well, it is purely coincidental. I believe it was my acting skills that have earned me the role."

"Miss Tsukihara, so it is true that you are currently seeing Mr. Taisho Sesshoumaru of Taisho Electronics Group? Is he here as a 'friend' or is there more to it? After all, both of you are wearing apparels from Valentino's Fall-winter collection tonight."

Our entwined hands obviously gave them a clue, but the paparazzi were always determined for juicy, gossipy facts.

Kaguya regarded the reporters, cameras and countless microphones with a blissful smile. "Yes, Sesshoumaru and I are in an open relationship."

More flashing lights threatened to blind me permanently as photographers tried their best to capture what would undoubtedly be dubbed our 'blissful smiles' on the entertainment news column the next day. The adoring fans behind us cheered, waving light sticks and banners around. Honestly, don't they have anything else better to do?

"Two years ago, it was widely rumored that you were seeing Mr. Taisho, but both of you have been vehemently denying the rumors. So why is it that two years later, you have suddenly decided to admit to your relationship so openly?"

It was because I had been too hung up on another female, and Kaguya knew that very well indeed. I never got to find out if she knew it was Higurashi Kagome whom I was so hung up on, but I knew she was aware I liked someone else.

Kaguya smiled sweetly and cast a glance at me. The flashing lights and barrages of personal questions were making me rather uncomfortable; I never really enjoyed such jarring attention, but there was a part of me which welcomed this.

I knew Kagome would see all of these. Even if she missed this on TV, she would see it all over the entertainment news column in newspapers and magazines.

I moved closer to Kaguya, and wrapped my arm around her slender waist protectively. She leaned slightly into my chest and allowed her gaze to linger on each of the camera lenses so as to allow the cameramen to take pictures.

"We've had some…obstacles in the past, but right now, we are very happy together. There is no need to hide, and I'm very thankful to my lovely fans for being so supportive of us."

"Obstacles? Can you please elaborate on that? Was it because of your career, or his? Or was there another party in the relationship?"

Kaguya smiled alluringly and tossed her perfectly-curled hair, voluminized for the night with hair extensions, with a laugh. Her waist-length dark waves tumbled over her slender, creamy shoulders, giving the cameramen yet another Kodak moment. "That's virtually history; I don't think anyone is interested in knowing."

"What about you, Mr. Taisho? Do you have anything to say to that?"

I smiled and remained silent, and the reporters took the hint to not probe further. The cameras continued to flash in my eyes, but as Kaguya advised, I remained unfazed and looked aloof.

"So what reignited the flame between the two of you? Was it the recent camera endorsement campaign whereby Miss Tsukihara was the campaign model?"

I nodded. "Kaguya was…simply irresistible."

Someone from the crowd of paparazzi asked good-naturedly, "So you felt like you had to have her for your girlfriend?"

"That's an understatement."

More uproar from the nearby fans, and I figured that this uproar would most probably spread throughout Japan. Kaguya smiled and gazed at me adoringly with her professionally made-up smoky eyes, her carmine lips upturned in a blissful smile.

More smiles and laughter were elicited from the paparazzi. The buzz of excitement over our words and the openness of the relationship could be felt all around in the glamorous, glitzy atmosphere. Kaguya and I were dominating the limelight, living up to the reputation of the "Picture perfect couple" as the media dubbed us.

"Mr. Taisho, how do you feel about the online male magazine polls in which you topped the charts as the 'Luckiest man alive' and 'The man whose life I wished I had'?"

_My life? Are you kidding me,_ I wanted to demand in their faces. My life was only glamorous because I had Tsukihara Kaguya by my side. _If you had seen me prior to me meeting Kaguya, I was a fucked-up mess._

I held the ethereal beauty in my arms closer, leaning down to give her a chaste peck on her cheek. "I think there's no need to elaborate on that."

This was going on national TV; this was going on national TV.

The reporters were riled up and excitement was virtually crackling in the air like static as cameras flashed away merrily.

"Is it true that you were initially supposed to walk the red carpet with Director Totosai, Miss Tsukihara?"

"Why, yes, but you know, he is like a fatherly mentor figure in my life, and when I told him about Sesshoumaru, he told me that he had met a worthy opponent, and he'd either find someone else to walk the red carpet with or walk it alone!" Kaguya joked and the reporters around us laughed.

It was a celebration of shallowness and surface smiles, but at least, I was not subject to heartache and tears.

"So, just for your adoring fans, could the two of you pose for a nice picture?"

That was what they wanted to see on national TV, wasn't it?

It would air on TV, wouldn't it?

Wrapping my arm protectively around Kaguya's back, I pulled her into a possessive embrace, leaning in to claim those perfectly-painted lips of hers in a deep kiss. She gasped softly in surprise, before our lips melded together in front of all the happy voyeurs.

It was a pleasurable kiss, and as she raised her hands to cup my cheeks, the cheering and clicking of camera shutters from behind us was thunderous, ringing away in our ears. I could make out the flashing lights from behind closed eyelids.

* * *

In the meantime, somewhere else in downtown Tokyo, a girl was curled on her couch in her rented apartment. Her eyes were slightly widened as they stared, transfixed, at the television screen, where a man and a woman dressed to the nines in Valentino were caught in a passionate lip lock.

"Sesshoumaru?" His name left her lips in breathy uncertainty. She sat up straighter in her couch; put the cup of forgotten ramen onto the coffee table.

Leaning closer for a better look, since her TV was so small, she noticed that it was indeed him.

The aroma of the ramen's shoyu soup was making her gag as her heart felt as if it plummeted over a cliff.

From where she was, sitting lonely and desolate opposite a cold TV screen, she thought the couple on screen seemed very much in love.

But he couldn't possibly love that woman, could he?

_He loves me, _she thought. _Why would he be with that…that supermodel?_

Yet the way he was holding the supermodel was so possessive and protective.

It came as no wonder to her, when they finally broke the lip lock and the video camera lenses zoomed in on the positively blushing and radiantly smiling girl. She looked ethereal, with features that were exclusive to mannequins and dolls. The supermodel, looking perfect from any angle, tossed her crown of glossy, magnificent curls before blowing a kiss sensuously at the video camera. She looked endearingly at the man by her side, and they shared a smile.

That was a smile she used to share with him. But now, he was sharing it with someone else.

The girl on the couch fingered her limp, damp hair. They were still fresh from the shower.

She looked at the magnificent, almost impossibly-bouncy waist-length waves on the girl on the screen.

There was no way she could even come close to that league of beauty. But then again, did she even have the right to feel the way she was feeling?

For some unknown reasons, her heart felt as if someone was squeezing it.

Her gaze slowly fell to the floor, and for a long, long time, she sat there on the couch in silence.

_

* * *

To be continued…_

A/N: Payback's a bitch.


	9. Hung up

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Once again, thank you for all those reviews on the earlier chapter! I was looking through each and every one of them, and it so seems like almost everyone hates Kagome by now. LOL. Should we feel sorry for her, or hate her? I guess that's the question on everyone's mind. And what about Kaguya? I genuinely wanted her to be a nice bimbo. Chapter 9's here, more drama's unfolding!

**The Third Parties**

_**Chapter 9: Hung up**_

* * *

"_Can you come by tomorrow? I have a little surprise for you…"_

"What time?" I replied half-heartedly, paying more attention to the report I was reading.

"_Around 7.30pm? Don't be late, alright?"_ Kaguya said. _"Sesshoumaru…so what plans do you have for tomorrow? I have a photo-shoot session at 6am in the morning at the Elite Academy studio, followed by a meeting with the managing director of…"_

"Hn." I tried to type on my keyboard, but realize it was not too easy typing with one hand. It was more of pecking at the keys.

I could practically see her lying on her back on her bed, dressed in some lacy night lingerie, pouting as she stared up at the ceiling.

"_Are you listening to me?"_

"Yeah."

"_You're obviously not quite interested."_ Kaguya mumbled accusingly. _"To think I planned a surprise for you…hoping it would brighten your day."_

"Hm?"

"_Ah, forget it. Just come over to my place tomorrow."_

"Sorry…I'm just, kind of busy right now."

She sighed audibly, and from the rustling sounds of the sheets, I can picture her rolling onto her side on the bed. _"I guess. Work's more important. I shall go to bed then, take care and rest early alright?"_

"Yeah, you too."

There was a momentary silence between us.

"Good night."

"_Good night, darling!"_ She replied a little too brightly, before ending the phone conversation with a kiss.

She did not hang up, and I figured she was waiting for the kiss to be returned. So I did, and with that, hung up.

I switched my cell phone off. No one else would call me, anyway.

She, the one who haunted my thoughts more than anyone else, had stopped contacting me entirely. Prior to the movie premiere I attended with Kaguya, I would still receive one or two calls a day, even though I had never picked any of her calls up. I just did not know how to talk to her.

Were things supposed to be awkward between the two of us? Or was there a guide to dating which could tell me what we were supposed to do?

But ever since that live telecast movie premiere night, I hadn't received a single call or text message. It was as if she was trying to cut a Kagome-sized void in my life, while remaining oblivious to the fact that a wound that deep would bleed me of everything.

But who was I trying to kid? The movie premiere was live telecasted, for God's sake. The following day, our photos taken on the red carpet and throughout the entire event were splashed all across entertainment news columns in the newspapers, tabloids, magazines...

There was no way she could have missed it. Even if one was blind, there was always the radio.

That thought made me feel so low; I had practically manipulated every form of media in order to infiltrate her tiny social circle and got a cheap thrill from flaunting my newfound 'happiness'.

On top of that, everyone now knew about Kaguya and I; Father and Izayoi had been thrilled to see the pictures of us from all the sources of media they had been exposed to. I did not know how to tell them I didn't know how far this relationship with Kaguya would go.

Even when I wanted to say something to make them less excited, Father had brought up topics of how beautiful his grandchildren would be if I were to marry Kaguya in future and expand the gene pool in the looks department. Hearing their excited chatter about the imaginary future just shut me up, and all I could do was nod and concentrate on my food at dinner time. I couldn't be bothered to try to change their thoughts, and the entire drama with Kagome was more than enough for me to deal with.

They could think whatever they liked. The relationship was too widely known by now to stop anything, much less thoughts.

In fact, all the lunch meetings I had been having with the business associates revolved around the topic of Kaguya and I as well. Some of them had masked the curiosity and interest well with subtle faces, but some were obviously keen and hungry for some gossip fodder to graze on.

I wonder if she had burning questions like them. How would she react to me being with Kaguya? After all, I would be seeing her at the engagement dinner in a mere three weeks' time. The seating arrangement for all the eighty tables was finalized earlier in the evening.

Invitation cards were to be sent out the next day, while the closer friends and relatives were to receive their invitations personally from us. In fact, I was supposed to take a domestic flight the day after to go up to Northern Japan where my uncle and his family reside to present them the customary wedding cakes and official invitation on Inuyasha's behalf.

I had seen the seating arrangement earlier, and saw how she was supposed to sit directly opposite Inuyasha and Kikyou, since the seats beside them were obviously meant to be taken up by the parents of the bride and groom-to-be. That'd mean greater agony for her, wouldn't it? She would be witnessing their happiness with her own eyes.

How was she going to take the news of Inuyasha getting married? That was the burning question in my heart. Knowing her, she would most probably crumble into pieces, but whether she would be able to pick them up was beyond me.

How was the imbecile going to deal with this?

As much as I know I should move on, part of me knows I'd never really be able to sleep in peace for the subsequent nights to come if I did not know how Kagome was feeling.

All I wanted was for her to move on. It would be better if she could move on together with me, but that was beyond my control.

Contradictory to what inner logic tried to tell me, I walked to my door and opened it quietly. His room door was wide open, the lights from the interior flooding out onto the dark hallway.

Should I talk to him, or should I not? This dilemma churned like a raging undercurrent beneath me, for to speak to Inuyasha would signify how my attempt to distance myself from Higurashi Kagome was a total disaster.

Despite the inner turmoil, I found myself shutting my door behind me and walking down the hallway. Apparently, I was running on instincts.

Surprise was an understatement on Inuyasha's face when I rapped on the door and entered before he could do anything else. I did not blame him for being surprised; after all, it has been almost ten years since I stepped into his room.

"Inuyasha. I have something to ask you."

He stood up from his position at his work desk, which was flooded with more engagement party invitations than anything else. He did not say a word, but his facial expression told me he was listening.

"What do you intend to do about it?"

"Do about what?"

"Kagome." Fuck. It hurt to say her name out loud.

His eyes widened in shock and anger, glaring at me incredulously as he stomped past me agitatedly to shut his room door, though not before looking anxiously down the hallway for any signs of anyone else. He was obviously still living in the constant fear of having his affair exposed.

"Are you fucking out of your mind, Sesshoumaru? Are you so fucking besotted with that airhead you're screwing to the point of being totally insane and equally stupid?"

"Leave Kaguya out of this. She has done nothing to deserve such groundless criticism from the likes of you." I retorted. "I am asking you now. What do you intend to do about Kagome?"

He drew a deep shuddering breath and raised his arms in exasperation. Falling back into his armchair, he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands.

"I don't know. I really don't."

I remained stonily silent, for I knew that Inuyasha would continue in face of my silence.

"What am I supposed to tell her? Tell me, what should I do? How am I supposed to break the news to her? She would be devastated…" His voice trailed off as words of despair died on his lips.

That was when I noticed the single invitation card torn into two and thrown in the wastepaper basket beside his desk. It was not difficult to guess whose name was on the card, and true enough, I saw the two kanji characters "Higurashi" on one end and the three hiragana characters "Ka-go-me" on the other, tastefully typed in calligraphic Japanese font and embossed in gold print.

He had torn the invitation card up and threw it away. He was never intending to tell her the truth?

"What's the meaning of that? You were never intending to tell her?" I spat bitterly as he looked up questioningly. His eyes followed the direction in which mine were looking at, and it soon became clear to him as to what I was asking.

"I can't do it, Sesshoumaru. I can't! I tried; you know…I just came back from her place two hours ago. I truly intended to tell her the truth and to give her the invitation card…but the moment I tried to do so, I would just think of how sad she would be, and how much she would hate me for it…all I could do was tell her that it was a company dinner, and she was invited-"

"You fucking lied about something as big as this?" I gripped his tee-shirt collar roughly and practically lifted his face to mine. "Do you get the severity of the situation? Your fiancée is pregnant. You are getting married, like it or not. And there will be a baby. Just what the fuck are you waiting for? What about Kikyou?"

"You wouldn't understand!" He practically yelled as he shoved me away with a burst of strength. "You wouldn't fucking understand, so quit acting as if you do!"

I had no idea what he was trying to say, for it simply made no sense to me. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Kagome would be crushed! Haven't you spared a thought for her? What about her feelings? You are so besotted with your hotshot supermodel girlfriend now; you're completely ignoring Kagome's feelings! You don't give a damn. Let me tell you, Mr. I-am-such-a-fucking-saint. You obviously don't care about Kagome's feelings in the least…all you want to see is the drama that will ensue!"

Those accusations lit up the anger I had been hiding away in the recesses of my soul, and just like how petroleum comes into contact with raging fire, something in me snapped and blind rage flared.

I saw red.

"I haven't spared a thought for her? You dare claim I do not spare a thought for her?" I was practically seething with rage at his audacity in making such sweeping statements. I drew a deep breath to calm myself, but it was not working in the least. The oxygen intake merely fed the growing fire within.

"Fuck you, Inuyasha…if there's anyone, anyone on this earth I truly care about…it's her. It is you who would never understand." I seethed, forcefully pushing him back into his chair. "Don't you fucking dare say I don't care about her. The only reason why I am here in your room is because of her."

His fell deathly silent, slumped in his chair with his entire face downcast. I took it as an opportunity to drive my point home, before I snapped entirely in frustration and do something drastic like picking the letter-opener on his desk up and stabbing him to death with it.

"If there's anyone who doesn't care, it's you." I said icily. "You think lying to her and allowing her to remain oblivious until the engagement dinner counts as caring for her? You accuse me of not caring for her feelings when I pressured you to make a clean break with her. You think I don't know she would be crushed? I know that way better than you would ever know. But this short-term pain is necessary…you've failed to realize how your cowardice and indecisiveness is going to cause her long-term distress. That's even crueler to her."

He did not say a word to that, and his head hung low. His fists were clenched tightly by his side.

"And there's Kikyou, who's pregnant with your child. Don't you love her in the least? She is a good woman. How can you bear to hurt her?"

"I love her! I'd never ever do anything to hurt her!" He snapped at hearing Kikyou's name. "I cannot live without her…I can never let her find out about Kagome…so how could I break up with Kagome now? What if Kagome told others and word got around? What if Kikyou found out? She's with child, there's no way she can afford to get emotionally hurt now."

"So your brilliant idea of protecting the two women you love is to spin lie after lie to keep them blissfully oblivious?"

There was no reply from Inuyasha, and what was going through his mind would remain a mystery to me for an eternity. I could not understand his warped idea of love – all he could do was lie to them and register his marriage with Kikyou right in front of an unsuspecting Kagome? Was he really under the impression that things would work out by themselves?

"You are going to let Kagome attend the dinner unsuspectingly, thinking it is a mere company annual dinner, only to realize what was going on when you announce your engagement? How fucking low can you get, Inuyasha?"

His voice sliced swiftly though my blind rage. "I can't bring myself to break the news to her…I love her. No one can understand how hard it is for me…I love Kikyou so much, so much…but I love Kagome too. You will never understand how much I love her. I don't want to lose either of them."

I wanted to shout in his pathetic face how he had brought all these drama upon himself, but Inuyasha chose to look up in that instant, and my words withered before I could utter them. There were two clear trails of tears were running down his cheeks from his eyes.

…he was crying?

It was the first time in perhaps, more than a decade since I last saw him cry.

Unable to look any longer, I turned away while he sniffled noisily and tried his utmost to stop the traitorous tears that were falling. If I looked, I knew my firm stand would waver.

"Your impending wedding to Kikyou is the undeniable truth. You can't turn back now. I'd hate to give you an ultimatum and neither am I really in position to do so, but you need to tell Kagome the truth." I said icily. Turning to leave his room, I said my last line. "If you don't, I'll personally tell her everything."

With that, I shut the door behind me, leaving him sitting all alone in his arm chair as his tears fell uncontrollably onto the carpeted floor.

Upon reaching my room, I switched my cell phone on. The merry greeting message popped up, and it wasn't before long when two messages came in. The first one was from my secretary regarding some administrative issues with my files. The second one was Kaguya, wishing me good night as if she had not already done so earlier.

I ignored the messages for now; they could wait. Instead, what I did was to key in the cell phone number I was so familiar with.

It started ringing straight away, and I was stricken with the sudden chilling fear of not knowing what to say or how to break the news to her. What was I supposed to say? "Just give up – he will be marrying someone else?"

So this is what Inuyasha must have felt. These words would really break Kagome's heart into smithereens if she had heard them from him. Even I feared saying it, and I wasn't directly involved in the situation.

But alas, she chose to ignore my call.

The ringing continued, until it was cut off with a harsh beep.

She had hung up on me.

_

* * *

To be continued…_

A/N: Please let me know how you feel about this! Aren't we all in dilemma?


	10. The Ladies of the Web

Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own Facebook either.

A/N: Calls for chapters on the females' thoughts have been too numerous to ignore, and here is a chapter on all the female characters of the story. I hope you enjoy this one, and once again, may those heart strings be tugged.

As my dear friend **Noacat** had pointed out, this might disrupt the flow of the story, but given Sesshoumaru's limited interaction with all the girls in the story, even Kaguya for that matter, it had to be done. I hope you would enjoy it nonetheless.

**The Third Parties**

**Chapter 10: The Ladies of the Web**

* * *

_**Kikyou**_

She had to be the happiest girl alive, and she was positive of that. Flipping through the bridal catalogue to browse the wide array of mesmerizing bridal gowns, Kikyou couldn't help the blissful smile that found its way to her face.

Sure enough, she had never counted on her marriage to be a shotgun one, but nonetheless, Kikyou was ecstatic at the prospect of getting married to Taisho Inuyasha.

Her unplanned pregnancy was a blessing in disguise.

The way her father had agreed to the marriage almost immediately told Kikyou of how approving they were of Inuyasha. On a personal and official level, both families had always gotten along fantastically, and marrying Inuyasha would only serve to reinforce the strong bonds they already had.

And right now, as the product of their love grew steadily in her womb, Kikyou felt a bout of love stronger than she had ever felt for Inuyasha. She had never been so in love with another individual, and she totally shocked her inner feminist with how much she looked forward to being a loving wife and nurturing mother. Suddenly, the idea of staying at home, preparing lunch boxes for her husband and child, sacrificing her nights out with her girlfriends seem perfectly alright.

As she watched Inuyasha flip through the baby product catalogues and comment on each and every single stroller, Kikyou thought this was life at its very best. What more could a girl ask for?

Everything was going well; her future parents-in-law were really supportive and had respected all her wishes when it came to choices for the engagement dinner and the future plans for the baby. Tales of nightmarish mothers-in-law did not apply to her life, for Izayoi had been a sweetheart throughout and even offered to look after their child in future so that Kikyou could go on pursuing her career without worries.

She counted her wealth, and Kikyou found herself very wealthy indeed. She was wealthy not in the sense of material goods, assets or cash, but rather, she had intangible wealth in the form of her husband, family, friends, and child.

Everything had been going well indeed; from the moment she was born.

Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Kikyou had always enjoyed the best her parents could give. She was very lucky Mr. Takemoto did not subscribe to the traditional Japanese mindset of how girls' education was nowhere as important as that of the boys', and Kikyou had been as well-educated as her male peers. She had been given every opportunity to develop her potential to the fullest. Kikyou did not disappoint her parents academically, and went on to attend one of Japan's most prestigious universities, Kyoto University. That was also where she met Inuyasha.

They got together officially when he asked her to be his girlfriend while they were strolling down the scenic "Philosopher's path" in Kyoto. Kikyou could never really forget that; the light pink cherry blossoms were in full bloom, petals were flying in the spring breeze and they were in love. She never thought she could love someone so much, to the extent of her heart contracting in a sweet tingling sensation every time she thought of him.

So it was from then till today, she mused, scooting closer to Inuysha on the couch and leaning her head against his shoulder. He turned to look at her, and gave her a small smile, patting her hand affectionately.

Everything was perfect.

Was it?

Somewhere deep down in Kikyou, a nagging sensation resided. It tried to grow, but she had always strongly suppressed it with willpower.

Things were too good to be true, perhaps she was thinking too much, but how could real world play out like a fairy tale all the time? Her life seemed too perfect, and she could not help but wonder if such perfection was even possible in the first place.

That was when she noticed something amiss about Inuyasha's behavior lately. He used to be more laidback and relaxed, but recently, ever since the topics of engagement dinners, weddings, baby and future came into the limelight, he had somewhat changed.

He was a lot more snappy and hard to get along with sometimes, while there were also times where he would appear to be in a daze. Inuyasha had never been the person with the best temperament, but recently, he would go all quiet and broody at times as well.

This abrupt change in his temperament scared Kikyou, though she never told anyone else about it. It made her wonder how much she really knew about the men she was marrying, but this worry was quickly dispelled by her own logical thinking. She thought she was paranoid because of the changing hormones in her body due to pregnancy.

Besides, Inuyasha was just really stressed out over the impending engagement dinner and his new identity as a husband and a father. He couldn't possible be upset at the idea of marrying he…could he? Or was it that he didn't want the baby? After all, he always looked unhappy when Izayoi mentioned anything related to the engagement dinner.

Kikyou did not know, but it was also a little too late to start questioning. There was no point in kicking a fuss up. As Inuyasha cradled her tenderly in his arms and kissed her forehead, Kikyou smiled in contentment and assured herself that she had indeed been paranoid.

She never knew just how accurate a woman's sixth sense was.

* * *

_**Kaguya**_

She carefully rinsed the hotpot under the running water, removing the last traces of soapy residue and bits of food. Humming a little tune to herself, she watched with satisfaction as the entire kitchen was once again as sparkling clean as before. The delicious aroma of the earlier sukiyaki still lingering subtly in the air, and it was the only thing betraying the fact that they just had dinner at her place.

Kaguya was glad he seemed to had enjoyed her little surprise for him; she remembered that he once told her he liked sukiyaki. Though it took quite a bit of effort and time to prepare, she had managed to take some time off her schedule and learned it from a friend during her breaks in between photo shoot sessions. Rushing back and forth from various studios and designer label stores had been awfully draining, but seeing how Sesshoumaru enjoyed the food made all the earlier efforts worth it.

She had been worrying if her sukiyaki was not up to standard, but her worries now seem unfounded.

Sesshoumaru had finished every bit of it, and had given her a kiss on the cheek and a 'thank you'.

That was enough for a girl who had painstakingly taken efforts to prepare a surprise dinner for the man she loved.

That was what Kaguya thought, as she wiped her hands on the cloth hanging by the side of the sink, before removing her apron.

She hoped he really could love her. He seemed to, at least.

The memories from two years ago were so painful to say the least; she had tried all she could to keep his heart with her, but it always had a magical way of escaping. She had done so much for him, doing all she thought a dutiful girlfriend should do, but she failed nonetheless.

Back then, Kaguya had thought of all the possibilities as to why Sesshoumaru would date her but would somehow be unable to get too close to her.

Could it be that he found her materialistic and stupid, which was the stereotypical impression people had of models?

Or could it be that she was not beautiful enough? He didn't like how she looked without her makeup? Or was it that her body was imperfect?

Or was it that he hated the fact that she was a public figure, and being with her equates to the loss of privacy and freedom due to media scrutiny?

Or did he know about her deepest secret, the fact that she had slept with a few of the modeling agency directors and film producers in her early days as a young model?

There were so many maybes, so many perhaps, but Kaguya knew very well, she was escaping from the one possibility she refused to acknowledge.

And that possibility was the presence of another girl in his heart.

Kaguya had refused to believe the fact that was someone else who already had his heart, and for some odd reasons, Sesshoumaru couldn't have that girl and had hence settled for her.

That girl, whoever she was, had no idea how lucky she was to be loved by Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru! I'll be taking a shower!" She called out, walking to where her bathroom was. Kaguya resumed thinking about their relationship two years ago. She stepped into the bathroom, intending to take a quick shower to wash the lingering smoky smells of food from her body.

All Kaguya knew about that girl then was her odd habit of calling Sesshoumaru up late at night. The calls would come on the nights Sesshoumaru used to spend in her company. His cell phone would ring at most twice, before he hurriedly picked it up and left Kaguya's room to talk secretively.

On most occasions, he would cook up some unconvincing excuse and leave, presumably to the mystery girl's side.

However, Kaguya finally got to see who she was.

It was one particular evening when she was finally done with her countless interviews regarding the release of the health fruit shake she was endorsing. Sitting in the back of her personal manager's car, eyes shielded with a pair of shades, Kaguya did not expect to see Sesshoumaru standing on the sidewalk outside a restaurant when the car came to a stop at the traffic junction.

From where she was, she could see Sesshoumaru looking incredibly handsome as always, but what distinguished him from how he usually looked was the happiness in his eyes. His body language spoke differently too; his face was still impassive, but his posture was relaxed and laidback.

That was when she saw a girl standing by his side.

The girl was petite, and she had a sweet demeanor, the kind that made one want to approach her and strike up a conversation. While she could not count as drop-dead gorgeous, she was definitely pretty. She owned a pair of large, expressive eyes that could smile by themselves. Her child-like face, framed by inky black waves, was lit up by a sweet smile as she talked to Sesshoumaru.

The traffic lights turned green, and Kaguya soon lost sight of Sesshoumaru and the mystery girl he was with.

Kaguya had tried to find reasons for Sesshoumaru's choice; what is it that the girl had and she did not? It was really bitchy and unhealthy to think that way, but Kaguya had thought to herself, why it was that Sesshoumaru had preferred that simple, sweet-looking girl over her when she looked so much more beautiful than the girl could ever be?

It did not make sense, especially when she gave this relationship her all.

But oh well, it doesn't really matter now, not when he was just outside in her living room, using the computer. The girl was nothing but a memory of the past. She exited the bathroom silently, intending to creep up behind him to give him a surprise.

That was when she saw the girl again.

This time round, it was a picture of the Sesshoumaru and the girl uploaded on Facebook. She was smiling brightly in the picture and was eating an ice cream cone. It was the same girl; Kaguya could recognize her face anywhere.

From where she was, Kaguya could see Sesshoumaru reach out with his fingers to touch the girl's face on the computer screen.

Her heart sank. So it was not over between the two of them. His heart was obviously still with that girl, whoever she was. Why did love have to hurt so badly?

She wondered how many people on earth have felt the same way as she did – torn between two options. Giving up was one, when love equates to giving the other person the freedom to go, especially when his heart was with another. The other would be to hold on indefinitely, hoping for a miracle and a change of heart.

Masking her sadness, Kaguya called out brightly, standing unmoving in her position. "I'm done! What were you looking at?"

She could see how Sesshoumaru hurriedly closed the browser window with the Facebook page and maximized the one with a few latest models of cars.

"Nothing in particular," He lied, back facing her. "Just checking out some cars."

Kaguya said nothing to that. Instead, she walked over to stand in front of him, nude except for a towel wrapped around her slender body.

"Sesshoumaru…" Her voice was a ghost of a whisper. "Look at me, please."

She wondered if he could ever see her for who she was.

He looked up from the computer screen, and she swiftly undid the knot of the towel to send it sliding down her body to lie in a heap at her feet. His eyes widened in surprise as she stood completely nude in front of him, exposed and vulnerable.

She swallowed her pride, and smiled bravely at him. But deep down, Kaguya knew that was the beginning of the end. She was fighting a losing battle.

"Please, Sesshoumaru." She whispered. Her head was hung in shame, shame that stemmed from her self-disgust. He thought she was just bashful. "Make love to me."

And so he did. But when he left her bed a few moments after the sex ended to take a shower, Sesshoumaru failed to notice the tears that escaped her eyes.

* * *

_**Kagome**_

She had never been one to buy entertainment magazines to graze the juicy celebrity fodder for self-entertainment. Kagome had always been under the impression that those magazines were purely brainless, meaningless and did nothing but help to elevate certain unworthy individuals into fame and stardom for all the wrong reasons.

But now, she found herself buying entertainment magazines at the convenience stores.

No, it wasn't that she had suddenly developed a burning interest in the entertainment world. Rather, it was the only channel via which she could keep herself updated on his life.

The headlines of the article read "Tsukihara Kaguya and beau spotted yet again", and the article revealed how open the supermodel was with her current relationship with Sesshoumaru. She did not hide anything and also did not try to, as seen from how she once again attended the opening ceremony of a jewelry exhibition with him.

Kagome looked at the snapshots of Sesshoumaru interacting with the equally rich and famous people of Tokyo, while being joined to the hip with that supermodel, holding her closely to himself no matter where they went.

_Are you really happy, Sesshoumaru? How could you be happy with her?_

It sickened Kagome for some unknown reasons. She used to think she would be overjoyed for him if Sesshoumaru managed to move on and get together with someone else. Yet she felt nothing but unhappiness as she saw pictures of Sesshoumaru whispering in Kaguya's ear while the latter smiled and laughed.

Why would she even be unhappy? Did she even own the basic right to feel unhappiness over Sesshoumaru's newfound happiness?

Just what was wrong with her? Didn't she already have Inuyasha?

Kagome did not know what to make of herself. Prior to Sesshoumaru's relationship with the model, she had been trying so hard to contact him. Calling him at least ten times every night, Kagome had held on to the belief that Sesshoumaru would never ever leave her in the lurch.

After all, since the day she was introduced to him by Inuyasha when they were children, Kagome had known she could always count on Sesshoumaru for support no matter what came along. He was never good with his words or adept at expressing his inner feelings, but he made up for those flaws with his constant presence in his life. He was always there for her.

There were too many incidents to count, but there were a few particular ones which would remain forever etched in her mind.

Both Taisho brothers were her best friends, but she had always liked Inuyasha since she was a teenager. He was loud, spirited and always had a natural way of injecting life into any situation he was in. His boyish face was very attractive to her, and he looked so cute and funny even when he was grumbling.

Things were going fine between them; there was an unspoken feeling of budding love in the air, until Inuyasha had to move to Kyoto for his university education. It was sad for Kagome to say the least, but she was only a student then as well, and her meager earnings from her part-time job at the bakery were far from sufficient in financing trips to visit Inuyasha in Kyoto. On top of that, there was no way her family could afford to send her to study in a prestigious university like Kyoto University, and neither had Kagome ever been brilliant enough to get into those elite universities. So for awhile she attended an average university in the outskirts of Tokyo, while Sesshoumaru got accepted into the highly prestigious Tokyo University, living up to everyone's expectation of him.

The best friends were split up, and that was when Kagome's dependency on Sesshoumaru unknowingly grew ten-fold.

She had been working day and night just to make some extra cash so as to be able to save up for a trip to Kyoto. But she never knew that as she slogged away just to meet one man, there was another one whose heart was aching to see her work so hard.

Kagome could clearly remember how Sesshoumaru told her to stop working, and before she could open her mouth to protest, passed her an envelope.

Inside the envelope was a round trip ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto via Shinkansen, the bullet train service. On top of that, there was spare cash and details of the hotel he had booked for her.

That was one of the many things he had selflessly done for her.

The second incident which she could never forget would be the night her grandfather died at the hospital due to complications from his kidney failure. Her mother had been absolutely devastated, while Souta tried to be brave for his mother and sister. Mother had almost fainted due to grief at losing her aged father, and Kagome told Souta to bring her home. Kagome was left all alone at the hospital to oversee the administrative matters with regards to her grandfather's passing.

That was when Kagome had really wished for Inuyasha to be around, and all she could do was to try and contact him by cell phone. He had been in Tokyo then, having come back for the summer.

However, he did not pick her calls up, and it was long after that when she found out he had been at the movies with his girlfriend.

So she dialed the other number she knew by heart, and he came to her in less than fifteen minutes. It had been pouring outside, since Japan was going through its annual monsoon season then, but he came for her nonetheless. He had gotten slightly drenched in the rain, and his damp clothes were cold to the touch. But the hug he gave her immediately warmed her from the inside.

Kagome had spent the entire night crying on his shoulder. Sesshoumaru was really her knight in shining armor; he could make every wrong right. He was in no way related to her family, but he voluntarily took up the task of helping her with the funeral arrangements and saw to it that old mister Higurashi was given a decent funeral.

He had always been there for her in his own protective manner.

After all…he was her best friend, wasn't he?

He could never, ever be mad at her, or that was what Kagome believed.

So when he started ignoring her countless phone calls, she found herself panicking. There was the worst feeling of being abandoned, and she had never felt so alone. All of a sudden, there was no one to talk to when she was upset, no one to cry to over the intense agony of being caught in a triangle relationship.

And that was when she saw him with Tsukihara Kaguya. In fact, prior to knowing about the relationship, Kagome had been Kaguya's fan. She wasn't really a crazy fan or whatsoever, but Kagome appreciated the supermodel's fashion sense and photos, and would be inclined to buy fashion magazines with Kaguya on the cover.

The relationship showed her how Sesshoumaru could really have any woman he wanted – Tsukihara Kaguya was one of Japan's top models for goodness' sake. There were presumably so many other eligible bachelors after her, but of all men, she had chosen to be with Sesshoumaru.

Kagome had thought almost angrily; how could a bimbo like her ever see the gem that was Sesshoumaru? Kaguya would most probably just exploit him to her own benefit and not appreciate Sesshoumaru for who he really was.

What Kagome noticed the next moment was how she was doing exactly what she accused Kaguya of _potentially_ doing. She was too blinded to see him for how good he was, and had been exploiting him on a regular basis.

Like it or not, the damage had been done. She had done Sesshoumaru great injustice throughout all these years. Now he was happy, with all the extensive media coverage to prove it, who was she to step into his life and demand her rightful place again?

So when she finally saw his name flashing across the screen of her cell phone with the incoming call, Kagome knew she could not pick it up. If it was three weeks ago, she would have practically cried with relief at being able to hear his voice again.

So she did what she thought she should do.

Kagome hung up on him.

It was for the best, really. Or so she tried to tell herself.

* * *

_**Izayoi**_

Her husband always complained she had the tendency to be hypersensitive about everything that was going on around her. Somehow she had the uncanny ability to sense things that the men could not. After all, as she always liked to say, 'the men don't get it'.

She knew there was more to it between Sesshoumaru and Kagome. Her step-son, whom she loved dearly despite not being her biological child, liked Kagome very much. Izayoi knew very well Sesshoumaru felt a lot more for Kagome that he liked to reveal ever since they were just children.

Izayoi could remember how Sesshoumaru would come home from school completely drenched on rainy days despite her having given him an umbrella to bring to school. She would question him about the missing umbrella, but he would never reply her directly. It was only until the next day when little Kagome turned up at their porch with the umbrella did Izayoi solve the mystery.

She was convinced Sesshoumaru liked Kagome. So Izayoi had been very confused indeed when she and Kikyou tried teasing Sesshoumaru about Kagome, only to find out he was dating the supermodel Tsukihara Kaguya.

It was not as if Kaguya was bad in any way, in fact, she was a very lovely girl. Rather, Izayoi was confused over Sesshoumaru's choice. She genuinely thought he loved Kagome, but why was it that they were not together?

Her step-son was just like his father, a very handsome and attractive man. She could not understand why Sesshoumaru could not get Kagome to be his girlfriend. After all, he could date girls like Kaguya, who were generally considered almost unattainable.

She knew he didn't really love Kaguya, he most probably found her beautiful and likeable, but what he felt for Kagome was definitely love. It wasn't that surprising, really, when Kagome was one of the sweetest girls she knew.

The older woman just couldn't understand why her outstanding step-son could not get the lovely Kagome for himself.

If only she knew.

_

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To be continued…_


	11. The Engagement Dinner

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you very much for all the lovely reviews and feedback for the last chapter. Here's the eleventh chapter of The Third Parties, and I hope you enjoy it!

This chapter is dedicated to my dear friend **Rayray**, whom I share the passion for fanfiction, Sesshoumaru, labels (bags), fashion and shih tzus with! Thank you so much for helping me with the ladies' wardrobe for this chapter, and I will do my best to describe them well enough to do the pretty dresses justice.

**The Third Parties**

**Chapter 11: The Engagement Dinner**

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Classical jazz music was swimming languidly in the air as guests gradually arrived through the grand entrances of the banquet hall, filling in their respective seats as the ushers showed them to it. The décor was themed in gold and off-white, lending a touch of elegance and warmth to the atmosphere, especially with the lightings dimmed.

"Well done, my son. You've done a good job with the venue and the theme."

"Thank you, Father." I nodded expressionlessly. It wasn't as if I wanted to look like a block of wood; rather, I could not find the capacity within myself to smile. It was obviously meant to be a very joyous event for the entire family – Father's fruit of labor, Taisho Electronics, was celebrating its thirty-sixth founding anniversary. That was the main theme, but on top of that, it was also Inuyasha and Kikyou's engagement dinner.

It was going to be a fucked-up scenario later on; I could already feel it in my bones.

I've tried to call her after the failed attempt that night, but still, she had refused to pick any of those calls up. It was agonizing, really, when all I wanted to do was to protect her from the impending hurt that was hurtling towards her.

It was only a matter of minutes before she would be here.

Meanwhile, on my right, Kaguya was obviously caught in a very engaging conversation with Izayoi. Izayoi was looking beautiful and elegant in a round collar Chanel jacket, its black and white playing a tasteful contrast and complement respectively to the cream dress she was wearing underneath. She looked every bit the proud mother-in-law to-be as she sat in her seat, eyes shining with pride and indescribable joy.

The two ladies were laughing over something, when Kaguya gently patted Izayoi on the hand and said, "Mrs. Taisho, Sesshoumaru, excuse me while I visit the washroom." My stepmother nodded, and we both watched Kaguya's retreating back as she made her way to the washroom area.

"Miss Tsukihara is a beautiful girl, Sesshoumaru. She's really friendly and endearing too." Izayoi commented, smiling at me.

"She is." I had to agree with that. Kaguya was dressed down for the event in order not to steal Kikyou's limelight, but she looked fantastic nonetheless. Dressed in a simple cherry red Elie Saab cocktail dress, the draped and ruched design of the fabric clung snugly to her svelte bodyline, accentuating her beauty. In fact, she had already taken countless photographs with the Taisho employees and given out autographs and whatsoever not.

As if aware she is being talked about, Kaguya looked over her shoulder and smiled at me. In return, I nodded with a small smile.

"I saw that, Sesshoumaru." Izayoi teased, as Father laughed. She turned to Father. "Aren't they loving, old man?"

"I'd be equally loving too if I had a girlfriend like her! She looks mighty fine, my son!"

That once again got him a deliberate and mock discreet pinch from my stepmother, while Kikyou's father and mother, the Takemotos, laughed.

I continued looking in Kaguya's direction, but as she exited the grand entrance, she walked past the person I knew I would have to face sooner or later.

The jazz music seemed to die in that instant. Time froze.

From where I was, I could see her eyes widen a second after Kaguya walked past. It was only too obvious to me that she recognized Kaguya for who she was, and she wasn't exactly too comfortable with that. Being a professional model, Kaguya was almost four inches taller than she was, and the physical height difference only served to make her petite frame look more forlorn against the vast interior of the banquet hall.

"Ah, isn't that Kagome-chan?" Father noticed her, and waved as one of the ushers led her in the direction to the main table. She returned his smile brightly and waved back, earlier traces of her discomfort at seeing Kaguya disappearing with a carefully erected façade.

Dressed in a modest salmon pink sleeveless cocktail dress with a meshed black lace design at the neckline, she had no idea how she stole my breath away with how fresh and feminine she looked. Having gone easy on the makeup, Kagome accentuated her sweet girlish features with light hints of pink, gloss and pearly shimmer. She looked so beautiful.

Human beings are biased creatures. Kaguya was commercially close to perfection, but she had never ever managed to steal my breath away like Kagome just did with her mere presence.

Speaking of the latter, she looked stunning and prepared for the event, but her eyes betrayed her. Deep down, it was only too obvious that Higurashi Kagome was dying to evade any scrap of attention that she might get from people. Yet Fate had played out in such an unexpected manner.

"Hello, everyone." She greeted politely, taking her seat by my side. Izayoi was looking at us with an unreadable expression, while I noticed how Inuyasha visibly stiffened. Kikyou was lucky to be absent, for she was still getting dolled up by the personal stylist we hired.

I couldn't help but notice how Kagome deliberately acted aloof towards Inuyasha, as if afraid if any trace of warmth and friendliness towards him would give their underground relationship away. She only smiled detachedly at him, and the slight inclination of his head and expressionless face could almost give me a run for my money.

"Hey." I greeted stiffly. My face must have looked dreadfully awful and forced, but there was nothing else I could bring myself to manage. After all, we had not been talking for so long, and the drama that had ensued prior to our groundless animosity towards each other was simply too…well, dramatic.

"Hey." She managed a smile, fiddling nervously with the beaded clutch in her lap. The atmosphere was growing stranger by the moment with the mounting awkwardness, and it did not help that Inuyasha looked as if he was ready to throw up any moment. "How have you been?"

"I've been well, thank you." I answered, staring down at the porcelain plate placed in front of me, before turning to regard her. I could not lie if I looked into her eyes. "You?"

Her face wore a wistful expression at hearing my answer, while those pretty lips of cotton candy parted as if to say something before closing and turning up into a tight smile. She regarded me with softened eyes, before nodding.

"I've been doing well."

"That's nice to hear, Kagome-chan! Look at how beautiful you've become…gone is the plain little girl back in high school." Father interrupted, blissfully unaware of the situation and failing to detect the tension in the air. "It has been a terribly long time since I last met you; I remember you used to pop by for dinner almost twice a week when you were in high school with Inuyasha. Have you been very busy?"

"Well, kind of…yes. Work's pretty hectic sometimes…"

"So are you seeing anyone at the moment, Kagome-chan?" Izayoi asked, while Kagome body visibly stiffened. From my position by her side, I could clearly see how she gripped her clutch so tightly to the extent of her knuckles turning white. Inuyasha's head snapped up at the moment, but instead of concern, all I saw in those amber eyes were guilt. He looked as if he wanted to say something really badly, but those words seemed to die before they could go from his mind to his lips.

No one was doing anything to stop the impending disaster, and we were all hurtling, hurtling at breakneck speed towards the ground. We would all shatter into smithereens, and whether happiness would ever revisit remained a mystery.

"I...I'm kind of seeing someone..." Kagome replied softly, her eyes fixed on Inuyasha the entire time. He regarded her with an apologetic gaze, but as Izayoi looked questioningly at the two of them, he hurriedy broke the eye contact.

"Who might that lucky boy be? We should have sent him an invitation as well. I was just wondering why a lovely girl like you could remain single for so long," My step-mother commented. "After all, I've always believed you would get together with one of my sons."

I could feel Izayoi's eyes on me the next moment. She was undoubtedly trying to read me for any signs, but my expressionless and disinterested face would give nothing away.

Kagome feigned an amused smile which did not reach her eyes. "You flatter me, Mrs. Taisho," She said, before feigning a brighter smile. "Look at the amazing women your sons have chosen; there's no way I could ever match up to Miss Takemoto or Miss Tsukihara in any aspect."

It became really awkward then.

Conversation died with Kagome's self-mocking statement and Izayoi's dilemma as to agree or disagree with her. It was one of the typical awkward cases of dining table politics, and Inuyasha and I were the only ones who knew that the drama was far from over.

"I'm back."

It was Kaguya, and Kagome's eyes widened ever so slightly at hearing Kaguya's voice from behind her. Yet another awkward situation, and I swear, I was getting tired of them.

Standing up, I pulled Kaguya's chair out for her. "Thank you, darling." She smiled sweetly as she sat down. What I failed to notice then was how Kaguya's facial expression changed subtly when she saw Kagome sitting by my side.

"Sesshoumaru, this is…" Kaguya asked politely, inclining her head towards Kagome.

"Ah, allow me to introduce." I shifted back in my seat, so that the two women trapped in my life could get to know each other. One was linked to my heart since forever, while the other was the one who saved my sanity when I thought I could never ever get over the first girl. "This is my…childhood friend, Miss Higurashi Kagome. And Kagome, this is Miss Tsukihara Kaguya, as you might already know."

"Do you know who Kaguya is, Kagome-chan?"

"I've definitely seen Miss Tsukihara on magazine covers and TV shows. Speaking of which, I really enjoyed the Tokyo Girls Collection 2009 runway show. You look…really beautiful there."

The Tokyo Girls Collection was a massive fashion event that took place annually in Tokyo, with high-profile supermodels from across the country parading down the runway in a blend of street and high fashion. Kaguya was, not surprisingly, an annual participant.

"Thank you, Miss Higurashi." Kaguya smiled politely. "I'm glad you enjoyed the show. I personally had a lot of fun doing it."

"I believe I watched it as well! We were one of the sponsors for the event. My wife definitely enjoyed it." Mr. Takemoto, Kikyou's father, said. "Did you attend the event, Sesshoumaru?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." I replied the Takemotos, while Kaguya laughed and leaned over to press herself against me endearingly.

"You're such a sweetheart, Sesshoumaru." She said lovingly.

Kagome remained stonily silent. Her facial expression was alternating between a forced smile and a forlorn face, and as if the situation was not dreadful enough, Kikyou chose to appear.

"I'm sorry for making everyone wait for me."

"Oh no, no, not at all. Kikyou, sweetheart, you look absolutely gorgeous!" Izayoi exclaimed, while Kikyou's parents smiled and beamed. Kagome was staring at Kikyou, her lips parted slightly as she stared. I wondered what was running through her mind, but then again, there would be too many potential answers for me to think about.

Kikyou was dressed in a sleeveless champagne gold gown with an irregular sheer gold chiffon hem at the bottom of the skirt, playing a tasteful and elegant color peek-a-boo with the creamy satin underneath. It complemented her pretty face well – Kikyou's sharp features and slightly aloof yet serious expression went well with the dress. It made her look almost regal and commanded attention.

"Inuyasha, Kikyou is looking so beautiful, isn't she?" Father asked, as Inuyasha just looked at his fiancée soundlessly. "No wonder you're tongue-tied!"

"She always looks beautiful." Inuyasha replied, after everyone burst into laughter. "I would never settle for anything less."

"Do you really mean it?" Kikyou teased, looking at Inuyasha with narrowed eyes.

"Of course I do!" He replied, while everyone laughed again.

Kagome's gaze fell upon her hands in her lap.

And so the fateful night began, when the appointed emcees of the night kicked it off with a very spirited exchange of words and well wishes to Taisho Electronics' future flourishing. There was the usual stuff which I was never too keen on – the giving out of random, quirky awards to popular individuals (which never included me), some powerpoint slideshow of Taisho Electronics' history and successes, some song and dance performances put up by the employees and so on. Food was served in the mean time, neatly arranged on trays in the most exquisite porcelain and lacquered plates and bowls.

"The char grilled abalone with Hokkaido butter looks absolutely amazing. Its rich flavor is complemented by other dishes like stewed mountain vegetables from Yamagata prefecture and this Ise lobster sashimi. Can I know who picked the dinner menu for the night?"

"I did, Mrs. Takemoto." I answered dutifully.

The older lady smiled appreciatively. "What excellent knowledge of traditional culinary tastes you have, young man."

"Now, now, I don't mean to brag, but this son of mine is highly dependable when you need him to get things done." Father added, beaming. "As I always tell my wife, nothing can go wrong with Sesshoumaru around."

"I have to agree with that!" Mr. Takemoto added. "It definitely applies to work as well. You're very lucky to have such a fine young man for a son, my friend."

Every clueless person was happy, or so they seemed to be. Kikyou was laughing with her parents, as her mother fussed over her occasionally and her father commented on how he liked every dish they served. Even Kaguya, who never allowed herself to eat too much greasy foods or carbohydrates, was happily eating away as Izayoi talked to her.

Father was overjoyed as well, for I had done a rather good job with choosing the dinner menu for the night. Food held a high level of significance in such situations; they were not merely meant for filling the stomach. Rather, it showed the Takemotos how sincere the Taisho family was with the display of tasteful generosity.

I felt like a hypocrite, really. We were all waiting to see the train wreck, but even if we had wanted to do something, the train was already moving too fast in our direction. Behind the atmosphere of joy lingering in the air was nothing but gloom and pain.

As some guys from the Kansai region sales department danced on stage dressed as drag queens, I noticed how Kagome was simply eating and not doing anything else. In fact, she was eating as if one would eat alone, with eyes fixed on nothing but the food and head hung low. But it was not as if I could blame her for it; everyone else at the table was in pairs. There were the Takemotos, Father had Izayoi, I had Kaguya, and Inuyasha had Kikyou. She was sticking out like a sore thumb, and had to act as if she was friendly with me, as if the drama had not taken place.

"Oh my, Sesshoumaru, that was hilarious! Did you see the way that guy in pink was dancing?"

I had no idea if Kaguya was talking more than usual simply because of Kagome's presence, but she somehow gave me the feeling she wanted to show everyone that I, Taisho Sesshoumaru, rightfully belonged to her.

I nodded and feigned interest as she went on and on about how she enjoyed the program, while I noted how Kagome was still eating alone silently. I wanted to talk to her, or do anything to make her feel better.

"Kagome."

"Hm?" That did the trick; she finally looked up from the wild yam cream appetizer she was eating.

"How is the food?"

"Good." She replied curtly, and went back to eating. That was her only means of escape for now. It was pretty ironic, really, when Inuyasha was barely touching his food. He was either taking deep breaths as if to calm his nerves or trying to smile as his future parents-in-law engaged him in conversation.

It was then when another round of food was served, and Father was invited by the emcees to go up the stage to give a speech.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

I cursed inwardly. The adrenaline was pumping into my blood stream now, and it was the dreadful feeling of how one was about to get caught any moment for doing something wrong. It was going to happen any moment from now, and Inuyasha's eyes met mine. He looked as if he was hyperventilating any moment, but had to smile and entertain Kikyou and the Takemotos at the same time.

"Kagome." I asked her softly.

"Yes?" She seemed almost offended at my interruption of her eating, as if I should have known better than to drag her into conversation. After all, all she wanted was to silently eat and will the night to go by quickly.

"Do you want to…umm…go somewhere else?"

I had to take her away. I had to take her away before all our mistakes in this big folly called love morphed into an arrow and pierce through her heart.

"Eh?" She frowned, confused by my weird request. On top of that, it had to be the first time she saw me stammer. "What are you talking about, Sesshoumaru?"

"Let's go."

"Where?"

"Just out of here."

"You're being crazy, do you know that? Look around you. How on earth could we just…leave?" She whispered angrily to me, staring at me incredulously. I did not notice how Kaguya turned to look at us suspiciously.

"No, I mean it. You…" I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice low. How I hated this feeling of helplessness. "You might not understand this for now, but…I have my reasons, alright?"

"No." She stubbornly said, looking at me in confusion and annoyance. "I don't get it; you guys were the ones who invited me to this and now that I've come, you want me to just…walk away from the dinner? What are you trying to do? Isn't it highly disrespectful?"

"Kagome."

"Sesshoumaru, that's enough. Let's just listen to what Mr. Taisho has to say for his speech, alright?"

I bit my lower lip to prevent myself from yelling in frustration. It was making things hard. Standing on the stage at the podium, Father was still addressing everyone in the banquet hall.

"…Everyone here, no matter who you are and what you do, is an indispensible part of Taisho Electronics. Taisho Electronics wouldn't be Taisho Electronics without you, and it is this combined effort and dedication that made our company what it is today. Let us work together as we have always been doing, and push Taisho Electronics to unprecedented heights. I hereby propose a toast to everyone. Here's to our success and a very happy working relationship for the future to come."

A toast, and Father continued with his speech.

"Now, I have a second piece of good news to share with all of you. Today marks a day of double happiness for my family. I am now standing here not as the founder of Taisho Electronics, but rather, as a father and a family man. Some of you might already have heard this piece of good news, but to most, it would come as, hopefully, a pleasant surprise." Father joked. It was not too funny to me, and it wouldn't be too funny to the girl sitting on my left either.

From where I was, I could see how Kikyou was already getting ready to stand up, gathering the end of her long chiffon skirt in one hand.

"I would like to take this excellent opportunity to announce…" Father said dramatically, before extending his hand in the direction of our table. "The engagement of Miss Takemoto Kikyou to my son, Taisho Inuyasha! Let's hear it for the couple!"

Thunderous applause soon erupted in the banquet hall and as if on the cue, the DJ for the night put on some cheesy romantic music, the kind one would expect to hear at a wedding. I felt as if I was trapped in a bubble underwater, helpless and awaiting nothing but certain death.

_Oh my god…what have we done?_

The applause and cheers lasted for just about five seconds, when the volume and intensity died down significantly as if in confusion.

I turned to my left almost instinctively, and it dawned on me why everyone appeared to be unsure, confused and curious. The girl beside me was no longer sitting down in her seat busy stuffing her face with food.

Rather, she was standing, and in that entire banquet hall which easily housed up to a hundred tables, there were three individuals standing instead of two.

It was the love triangle, and in some morbid manner, I noticed how Inuyasha and Kikyou formed the base on one side of the table while Kagome formed the point, standing opposite them. The deafening applause died with no trace of it lingering in the air, while whispers erupted like thousands of vile little wild fires across the banquet hall as people gossiped.

"Kagome, please…" I reached out to grab her hand, but she brushed my hand aside. She was staring at Inuyasha with immeasurable hurt and accusation swimming in her eyes, while those beautiful eyes clouded over with tears. Years of pent-up frustration and selfless contribution to this cursed relationship came to an abrupt death on such a dramatic note, and slowly tears fell down her face one by one.

Kikyou's eyes, widened in shock at Kagome's unexpected reaction, were searching Inuyasha's face frantically for answers. She was not a stupid woman, and I knew very well she had already figured out what was happening. All she wanted was confirmation to the deepest fear she had never even anticipated in the first place.

"Inuyasha…what is going on?" Kikyou asked quietly, before her voice rose in pitch and volume. Her eyes were glassy with disbelief and suspicion. "Can you please tell me what is going on?"

"Please Kikyou, it is not what it seems to be, please listen to me…let me explain…" He tried to hold her by her shoulders, but Kikyou flinched at his touch and retreated a few steps from him. She stood in absolute horror and disbelief, shaking from the utmost humiliation she was feeling from this betrayal of love and trust.

Father was silent, and the DJ had the common sense to cease the music. One could hear a pin drop, and in the deafening silence that ensued, time had stopped and shone its spotlight onto the three parties standing on the floor of the banquet hall. Everyone was waiting with bated breath.

Kagome continued staring at Inuyasha with a mixture of hatred and pain, while her tears fell as if they had a mind of their own.

A full ten seconds went by in complete silence, and I could take it no more. I stood up, and grabbed her by the hand. Kagome shook her head, and pried her hand out of my grip. She broke the silence.

"This is all I get for being the silent third party for almost three years, Inuyasha?" She asked, her voice choked with tears but nonetheless coherent. "How could you bear to do this to me? I am so stupid…how could I have allowed myself to believe you again and again, that you loved me the most?"

"Kagome, please…stop saying-" Inuyasha looked at her sadly. His eyes were brimming with tears by now.

"I get it…I understand now. You definitely loved the two of us. But you're selfish, Inuyasha. And you have no right to love. Because from the beginning till the end," Kagome drew a shuddering breath. "The one you love most is neither me nor Kikyou…it's yourself. You only loved yourself. You wanted the best of both worlds. I'm sorry, Kikyou. I'm so sorry."

She closed her eyes with an inaudible sigh, and more tears fell from behind closed lids. Kikyou was staring at Inuyasha in utter disbelief, tears rolling down her cheeks while her parents rushed to her side to comfort her.

"Kikyou! Darling, please, say something…don't scare Mommy!" I could hear Mrs. Takemoto crying as she tried to talk to her daughter.

Kagome started sobbing, but before things could get even messier than they were bound to in a moment, I reached for her clutch with one hand and held hers in another.

This time round, she did not push my hand away.

"Sesshoumaru, where are you going?" Kaguya cried out after us.

With thousands of confused eyes staring at us, I led Higurashi Kagome down the long aisle from the main table to the grand entrance of the banquet hall with long, furious strides. Whispers were still erupting across the hall as everyone sat rooted to their seats, unsure of what to do. Kagome struggled to catch up with me, her other hand still shielding her tear-stained face in shame as her shoulders shook with new waves of tears.

I shoved the doors open, and as they closed, the doors to the cursed triangle relationship came to an official end as well.

_

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To be continued…_


	12. I wish you love

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: It was the train wreck, and now it is the rescue project. Thank you so much to all of you for those spectacular reviews; I am honored you think so highly of my writing, and here's another chapter for all of you. I've only covered two characters in this chapter, Kagome and Kaguya. Let's see who tugs at your heart strings more!

**The Third Parties**

**Chapter 12: I wish you love**

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"You knew about it, didn't you?" She asked quietly as we sat in my car in the parking lot area of her apartment. The "Best of Japanese Drama Moods" CD was playing, and the instrumental music did help her calm down a little. At the very least, she was no longer sobbing her heart out. That was what she had been doing for the past two hours.

What should I say? I contemplated it for a moment, before nodding.

She sighed audibly as her lips parted in painful realization. Her eyes were tearing up again. I watched the smudges of eyeliner and mascara rimming her melancholic eyes. "How could you be so heartless? You just sat there and watched me crash and burn?"

I wanted to tell her, the only reason I was "heartless" was because she stole my whole damned heart since we were mere children and never gave it back. But I let her scathing words slide; she was hurting, and the wound was raw. She would come to realize she was blaming it on the wrong guy sooner or later.

We sat in silence, with nothing but the music playing languidly in the interior of the car. Her cell phone vibrated yet again for the umpteenth time, undoubtedly from Inuyasha, but she left those calls unanswered. After all, what was there to say? The ending has been finalized, and there was no longer room for this suffering third party.

She closed her eyes, as if sick of the world, and opened them again.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "It has nothing to do with you. I have no right to blame you for something you did not do. I've no idea why I am feeling so…so crappy, but…"

"It's not your fault."

"Neither is it yours, Sesshoumaru." She continued softly. "I am such an idiot. I hurt those who care. A fool, that's what I am. And love is not a game for fools to play."

I remained silent. If she was right in saying love is not a game for fools, then we were all fools, for none of us managed to play this game well.

"What do you plan to do?" I asked.

"I don't know. I honestly don't." She took a shuddering breath. "There are so many, so many emotions running through me now. I think I need time. Lots of it. I need to sit down and think, or perhaps, not think, about all these…issues. I despise myself, I feel very apologetic towards Kikyou, your parents, her parents…you….everyone, in fact."

I tried not to think about the others. For the very first time in my life, I dreaded facing people. I had no idea what to expect when I get back home.

"And I hate and feel sorry for Inuyasha…I hate him so much, for dragging things on and on, and creating the happy illusion that all would be fine as long as we told ourselves it would. Yet I feel sorry for him, for he was making the same mistake as I was. But underneath all these feelings…part of me still loves him. I've loved him for so long; I cannot come to terms with the fact that I lost him for good. I don't even know what I should do…I've never felt so…so lost."

"I'll be here. I'll help."

"I don't want to make use of you again and again…don't you understand? I know your family has the habit of saying this…'As long as Sesshoumaru is around, everything will be fine', but…don't you get tired of it? I detest myself for using you."

I did not reply her, but…_Kagome…don't you understand that for as long as I can remember…I have always been here for you?_

"I've been so blind. You've always been here for me, and I've hurt you again and again. I've always taken you for granted." Kagome said, her voice filled with self-reproach and regret. Tearing her eyes away from her lap, she turned to look at me.

"Sesshoumaru…can I ask you something?"

She knew my silence meant consent.

"All these years…I've always thought you liked me more than a normal friend would. Was my intuition right? Did you…love me?"

Her question caught me by surprise, and I was positive she could sense it, for she immediately added with a sad laugh. "It's okay if you don't want to answer it…my goodness, what was I thinking…to ask such an odd question-"

"Yes." I said firmly. "I do. Very, very much indeed."

Two droplets of tears rolled down her cheeks involuntarily, and Kagome reached up to wipe them off.

"Don't you hate me? If you ask me, I'd feel a lot better if you were mad at me."

"I can be mad at you," I confessed. "But…I can never hate you."

"If only I hadn't been so hung up on him…I'd be a very happy girl right now. Why did I have to make life so hard for myself?" She said, more to herself than to me, but the words nonetheless left me speechless. "But it's all too late."

The pearly moonlight shone upon her features, illuminating the high arch of her nose bridge and her cheek bones. The tears clinging onto her long lashes sparkled weakly in the moonlight, and she once again took my breath away with how fragile and beautiful she was. There was just something about Kagome that demanded protection, just as how one would a baby, or a helpless creature.

In that moment, I lost my self-control. Common sense flew out of the window, and I leaned across to the passenger seat.

She froze at my physical intrusion of her personal space, but she did not move away.

And with the gentle moonlight shining down upon us through the glass, I pressed my lips to hers.

I pulled away from the chaste kiss. "You have no idea just how much I love you…" I whispered, watching her face tenderly. This is the moment I had been dreaming of since I was a teenager.

Kagome gasped softly, but she did not flinch from my touch.

Her lips parted, and her soft warm breath caressing my lips gave me the confidence to push it further. I claimed her lips with mine, reveling in the soft touch of those pale pink petals, and years of frustration and silent love went into that single kiss.

My hand reached the back of her head to cradle it in my palm, deepening the kiss hungrily, just so that she could feel my soul, and the emotions it held for her. I feared she would evade, but she did not. Instead, she returned the kiss with equally fervent ardor, her soft hands running lazy circles on my nape and collar bone. Our passion, locked up behind the dam as a subdued sexual tension, crashed over us as the dam crumbled.

When we finally drew apart, she looked at me with sad, glazed eyes. Her lips were no longer a pale pink; they were slightly swollen and reddish pink from the passionate kiss we just shared. But it was the words that escaped those lips that made this kiss the most unforgettable one.

"Why…why am I always the third party? It's yet another mistake, isn't it?"

Those words, uttered so sorrowfully from her lips, hit me like a sledgehammer. I had forgotten entirely about Kaguya. Was this how Inuyasha felt? Did he forget Kagome while he was with Kikyou and vice versa? And the kiss…it was merely a mistake?

Her tears came again, and in that final gaze we shared, I realized that this first kiss was most probably our last. It was more of a goodbye kiss than anything else. There was no promise in it, and neither did it have the capacity for that.

"You should go back to Miss Tsukihara now…I'm sure she is waiting for you. We cannot continue making such mistakes." She said sadly with one final lingering gaze. "Goodbye, Sesshoumaru."

It was not the usual 'good night'.

She said 'goodbye'.

With that, she opened the passenger seat door, and stepped out of my car, and perhaps, out of my life.

Walking ahead to her apartment lobby, she did not turn to wave goodbye as she always used to do.

I sat in my car for a good half an hour after she had left.

I had finally kissed the girl I loved the most. But unfortunately, it was not the way I'd have wanted it to be. I never thought it would come to this, and part of me regretted it while another felt relieved and satisfied.

Kagome was right. We cannot continue making such mistakes. There was still someone waiting for me, though I've forgotten clean about her for the last three hours or so. I had essentially brought a third party in, and though it only lasted one kiss, I had cheated on her.

* * *

The elevator came to a halt, and I ran to Kaguya's apartment door. It was a luxury apartment, and her unit was located in a very private corner where no one else could see us.

Rapping hard on the door, I called out, "Kaguya, it's me. Open up."

The door opened a few moments later, and there she was, smiling at me as she had always been doing.

"You're here."

"Ah." I nodded awkwardly. Why was it that she seemed so cheery? She did not betray any traces of unhappiness, and neither did her eyes reveal signs of earlier crying or whatsoever.

"Come here." She said softly, and reached out to hold my hand with hers. Those long tapered fingers closed around my hand, and she slowly led me into her room.

Was she going to initiate a lovemaking session and simply let things rest? Was she going to remain silent and never ask me about what took place after I left the banquet hall with Kagome?

We entered her room, but I was surprised to be greeted by the sight of my belongings all laid out on her bed. There was my toothbrush, the one I used when I stayed over at her apartment. It was the same one on which she had lovingly written "Sesshoumaru" with a little heart icon behind my name. Then there was my towel, some clothing, books and random items such as a photo frame holding a picture we took together.

Kaguya released my hand, and sat down on the edge of her bed in the usual ladylike manner that was highly characteristic of her. She smiled without looking directly and me, and reached out for a shirt of mine.

"I've ironed all these clothes for you," She said, folding each and every article of clothing neatly. I watched her go about doing it, dumbfounded. Each folded article was then placed neatly into a large paper bag. "You can just take them out and wear them whenever you need it. There's a new wrinkle-free shirt which I've bought for you as well."

Calmly, she packed everything laid out on the bed into the bag. Item by item, article by article.

"This bag of preserved sour plums is for you…" She said, showing it to me before placing it into the paper bag. "You tend to stay up late sometimes and wake up early the next day, so it would be good to suck on one of these as you drive. It would keep you alert on the road."

Her eyes welled up with unshed tears. I could see them from where I was.

"Kaguya…"

"And lastly, this…" She picked the photo frame up. "Is for you to remember me by."

Two droplets of tears betrayed her aching heart, and rolled down her cheeks.

She stood up. Holding the paper bag in her hands, Kaguya walked towards her main door.

I stood beside her, unaware of what I should do.

"Kaguya, please…listen to me." I tried to talk to her, but she smiled through her tears at me.

Placing the paper bag in my hands, she said quietly, "I want to break up with you, Sesshoumaru."

With that said, her brave front crumbled like a dam under immense pressure and her sobs were no longer controllable. Her slender frame shook as the sobs grew in intensity, and seeing her hurting so badly just made me reach out for her instinctively to take her into my embrace.

My arms wrapped around her body easily and I held her tight to myself. "Kaguya, please, don't do this to yourself. Why are you hurting yourself like that?"

"Let go, Sesshoumaru. Let go of me." She said through sobs, fighting against my hold on her. I relented, and she opened the door to her apartment. Picking the paper bag up, she once again placed it in my hands.

"We can talk about this, Kaguya."

"It's alright, Sesshoumaru…I…" She regained her composure, while struggling internally with the dilemma of voicing out those words. "I knew it all along."

"Knew what?"

"I knew about Miss Higurashi's presence in your life all along." She said quietly. Her voice was melancholic, and her teary eyes reflected sorrow and resignation. "I know you love her. You did two years ago, and you still do. I can tell. The way you look at her…and the way you left me behind at the engagement dinner to take her away from all the pain and embarrassment…"

Words were lost as she involuntarily sobbed again.

Kaguya gently pushed me out of her apartment with both hands against my shoulders, and I stood alone on the corridor, paper bag in hand.

She looked at me sadly, wiping at those stray tears with the back of her hand.

"I must look so awful now…" She said self-mockingly.

I shook my head. No, she did not look awful in the least. She looked beautiful, even more so than she usually looked. It was the first time I saw the innocent heart that loved so deeply residing beneath the flashy, flamboyant supermodel shell.

"Sesshoumaru…"

"Yes?"

"I have a request."

"What is it?"

"Can you kiss and hold me for one last time?"

And so I did. The kiss was a salty one, stained by tears, and I no longer knew if it was hers or mine, or ours. The taste of heartache was a salty one, and I believe it was a taste which would remind us of the pain from now on. She leaned into my protective embrace, our forms fitting perfectly together, living up to the media's nickname of the "most beautiful couple" even in such a melancholic scenario. She held me tight, and I could feel her inhale deeply, as if committing my scent to her memory.

She let go abruptly, and stepped away.

Before I could react to that, she had closed the door.

"Kaguya! Open up…we can talk about this! Please, don't do this to yourself!"

"All I want is a boyfriend who could love me as much as I love him. Are you capable of doing that, Sesshoumaru?" She cried out from the other end of the door.

I remained silent.

"I am doing this because I love you. I am letting you go because I love you so much." She cried, her voice now breathy as tears fell freely. "If I open the door right now, and you walk through it…you'll be making the same mistake your brother made!"

"Kaguya…"

I've just managed to hurt another individual; I broke a heart which loved me so deeply, and had trodden all over the shattered pieces.

"I don't want to see you caught in a spot…not now, not ever. Just leave, Sesshoumaru…and don't look back."

And so I did, with a heavy heart. It would never be the last I see of Tsukihara Kaguya, for we had a lot of common social links, but privately…it was the end.

I never got to see how she opened the door by a fraction to watch my retreating back as I walked down the corridor to the elevator lobby, or heard the "I wish you love" she whispered on those perfect lips.

_

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To be continued…_


	13. And there was the storm

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: MissTeak is on a writing rampage! I hope you guys enjoy this one, and a big thankyou to all who read Pearl of the Underworld as well. I absolutely love writing that story.

**Chapter 13: And there was the storm**

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I didn't know if I should laugh or cry or gloat or mope.

Has anyone felt like that before; when your traitorous mind hands you an entire list of emotions, both pleasant and unpleasant, and you just stare into space, unaware of what to choose?

Well, that was exactly how I felt.

The loss of Kaguya made me sad and angry. I was sad for her, and angry at myself. What a sorry excuse for a boyfriend I had been, treating her like the convenient backup all along. And this relationship, so widely publicized and praised, had to come to such a sad end. I guess we both need some time to cool down, and some freedom to ourselves.

Then I felt happiness. I had finally been able to tell Kagome how I felt for her, and I've managed to kiss her. Not once, but twice. I should be happy that she was single and available. Everything that I've been thinking of to say to her had been said, but ironically, behind the happiness lay a strong hint of gloom. Nothing had come out of that kiss, and nothing would come out of it, I guess. Besides, could she ever be with me? How could she bear to be with the man who was her ex-boyfriend's brother? Could she even face my family without embarrassment in future?

Gloat. I had always hated my brother. My _half-brother_, to be precise. He was always nothing but a pest in my eyes…wasn't he? Yet as I thought of the dreadful predicament he was caught in, I could not bring myself to gloat. For Kaguya showed me just how close I came to making the mistakes he made, and who was I to gloat over his troubles when I could have been the one in the same situation?

Of course, I would never say all these to him, not ever. But I would just remain silent, I guess. Words never did emotions justice, and could never do so.

Then there was Kikyou. Sympathy like I've never felt before hit me when I saw her face crumble. I could have sworn I saw her heart wilt and die too. I wonder what happened to her, and how this terrible situation could go on. She was a strong woman; something I've always thought of her. But most of the time, it was the strong women whom others misjudge and overestimate. We were always under the impression that they could hold the sky up even if it came crashing down upon them, but they would always ironically turn out to be those who need the most protection.

Fear. The final emotion my mind offered to me was fear. Yes, fear.

I had rarely, perhaps only once or twice in my life, felt fear. But at the moment, I feared. I genuinely did so. I had no idea what to expect, and the fear was making me fear more. I fear that this fear would keep revisiting.

Everyone had always been under the false impression that I could solve anything. They somehow grew so used to the idea that I could be depended on all the time, but no one ever entertained the thought of how "Sesshoumaru the seemingly-invincible" can fall too. No one had ever bothered asking if I had been happy or sad or angry; they did not understand that just because I couldn't be bothered to show it, it doesn't mean I don't feel it.

It was because of this fear that I sat motionless in my car outside the gates of my home. The lights in the living room were still on. Should I go in, or should I not? A furious blend of emotions and thoughts were churning in my mind, but none of them could drive any form of movement on my part. Was I supposed to put on that typical "Sesshoumaru face" and simply walk to my room, close the door, take a shower and stay in there? Or was I already too embedded in the quick sand to make a clean getaway?

But there was no way I could evade this forever.

And it was with that thought in mind, repeatedly flashing across, that I plucked up the courage two minutes later to discreetly push the front door open.

_Slap!_

…just in time to witness Izayoi slap Inuyasha right across the face. The latter's head veered to the side with the force of the slap, but he remained motionless, staring blankly ahead at the coffee table with widened eyes.

"I raised you with so much love and concern…why did you turn out to be like that? Why did you grow up to be such a horrible man??"

"Mom-"

"You scare me, my son. How could you keep all these…secrets from us for such a long period of time without feeling guilty over it? Do you even have a ounce of conscience left in you?"

I stood in the frame of the doorway, keys in hand, unaware of what to do or say. They had obviously not noticed me. This was the very first time I had seen Izayoi lose her temper to such extents. Throughout the years of living under the same room, I had seen her punish Inuyasha with small punishments which never seemed to change him, berated him and so on. But I had never seen her hit him so forcefully.

And Father…he was nowhere in sight.

Kaede shuffled over discreetly to the doorway to help me with my coat.

"Young Master Sesshoumaru, I would suggest you go to your room immediately. The situation is…it is not looking too good…"

"Where's Father? Why did Aunt Izayoi-"

Our whispered conversation was cut short when Izayoi wailed out loud and fell onto the couch, crying with her face in her hands.

"I have failed as a mother. This must be karma…Lord Buddha must be punishing me for this…" She cried, devout Buddhist she was, as Inuyasha hastily dropped to his knees to plead with his mother.

"Mom, don't say that…it has nothing to do with you!"

She ignored him, and the wail died into a series of sobs and almost incoherent mumblings. I could clearly make them out though.

"Karma…karma has come back in a full circle to take its retribution on me…" She cried, her body nearly faltering in the extreme pressure the situation placed on her. "I was the third party in my younger days…stealing someone else's husband and leaving little Sesshoumaru without a complete family…I was the shameless woman in someone else's relationship as well…"

Inuyasha tried to hold her hands in his to calm her down. "Stop saying that, Mom! It's my fault, it's all mine…"

"And today…karma revisited. My son was finally getting engaged with the girl whom I thought was the perfect wife for him, and it so turned out that Kagome had been in the picture all along…just like I did so many years ago…now my grandchild will face poor Sesshoumaru's fate, having to grow up without a proper family. I tried my best to be a mother to him, but deep down…I know that'd never be enough…he must detest me for taking his father from them…"

"I swear I will take care of my child…I'll talk to Kikyou, Mom…we'll talk this over!"

Speaking of Kikyou…what was going on now? Where was she? I had no way of finding out unless I called on the Takemotos personally, but I inwardly shuddered from the ugly scenario it was going to be.

"Would she still want to talk to you? How many women can suffer such a dreadful blow and remain standing strong enough to 'talk to you'?" Izayoi cried. "This is karma…it's all divine retribution…"

I hated to see the woman who brought me up suffer like that. To be very honest, having grown up under her care since the age of four, I have grown so used to having her around as the motherly figure in my life. True, she was the third party in my parents' relationship. But she was also the one who attended all my parents' meeting sessions at school, saw to my daily needs and threw annual birthday parties for me until I told her explicitly that I did not like parties…

It was high time someone did something about the situation. I didn't like the fact that Izayoi was distressed and neither did I like the fact that Inuyasha was doing nothing constructive about it.

"Aunt Izayoi. Where's Father?" I asked, ignoring Kaede's attempt to hush me.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru…you came back just in time…your father is resting in his room," Izayoi said through her sobs. "He got so angry, and you know his heart is not exactly strong…"

"I will check on Father in awhile." I nodded, placing a comforting hand on Izayoi's shoulder to calm her down. Turning to Inuyasha, I asked, "How's Kikyou?"

"She has been hospitalized…" He said softly, his face looking blank and weary.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded. "Aren't you supposed to be with her? Do I need to teach you what to do?"

"Fuck!" That seemed to hit a raw nerve, because he abruptly shocked everyone by shouting out loud in frustration, and cursing a string of obscenities.

I stared at him icily. True, I knew he was upset. But who wasn't? Everyone else was feeling equally upset by the horrendous turn of events, and it was the worst time to yell, curse or make excessive noise.

"Apparently you believe cursing and swearing is going to help bring Kikyou back to you. Your mentality is appallingly childish, as usual."

His face fell and I watched Inuyasha take a shuddering breath again. He was obviously an emotional wreck, and in no state to explain things to me. Turning to Izayoi, I listened intently as she updated me on everything that has happened earlier on at the engagement dinner.

Kikyou had put up a brave front. She had cried, but still, had the dignity to pick the microphone up and thank all for attending the engagement dinner that did not turn out to be one. She did not look at Inuyasha, and neither did she talk to him. However, it was only when she was ushered into the backstage changing room did her body suddenly stiffen with the tremendous stress she was feeling, and she collapsed like a rag doll.

So the ambulance was called, and Kikyou was rushed to the hospital with her parents accompanying her. Apparently, Inuyasha had tried to hop on the ambulance with them, only to get thrown out, not literally I hope, by an irate Mrs. Takemoto. They were already barring him from her, and I had no idea how on earth Inuyasha was going to pick the pieces of this horrendous mess up. On top of that, there was the unborn baby and the numerous business dealings we had with the Takemotos. How was everything going to play out from now? I did not even know if this was the end of Kikyou and Inuyasha's relationship.

Kaguya, on the other hand, was left all alone when I impulsively grabbed Kagome and left the engagement dinner. She did not drive to the event, and I was pretty much the only person she knew other than my family whom she met at the dinner. From what Izayoi said, she simply remained very quiet before calling her personal manager to ask if she could pick her up. That, for some unknown reason, hurt. I still couldn't bring myself to reveal the breakup with Kaguya to Izayoi, not when everything came rushing at us at the same time.

Father had been livid with anger upon finding out what exactly happened between Inuyasha, Kikyou and Kagome. Furious and humiliated publicly, he had insisted on coming home immediately. Inuyasha had apparently received a severe tongue-lashing from Father, but the latter was old and had blood pressure issues, which led to him gasping for breath and feeling faint whenever he got agitated. Father had to rest in his room, lest his blood pressure rise should he see Inuyasha.

The guests had all been kindly asked to leave, while the planning ad-hoc of the event stepped in to control the messy situation. Friends like Miroku and Kouga helped with explaining the situation to other family members and friends. I could just imagine how humiliating it was for our family, especially for Father and Inuyasha. Even I, who was not directly involved, could virtually feel the embarrassment and awkwardness which was bound to exist the next time we stepped into our respective offices.

The Taisho family had always been highly respected by people from all walks of life; this has got to be the very first time we suffered such a humiliation. In all his years of hard work and success, Father had never allowed the Taisho name to be taken lightly. Now, we've all become jokers, running around in the dramatic webs we weave. On top of that, there was minor media coverage at the event. How many families had this sort of drama going on? How many families got their dirty linen washed in public for the world to see? Sometimes, the lifestyles of the rich and famous were really overrated. I figured I could do without these problems, and that was an understatement.

We had to do something, but there were so many things to do and it was hard to decide which demanded priority. I'd represent the Taisho family in sending out apology emails and letters to everyone who was present at the banquet by the next morning, and we had to mend our ties with the Takemotos, both on a corporate and personal level. Maybe that was what people meant when they said "Do not eat where you shit". Inuyasha should have known better than to get so heavily involved with Kikyou, who was the daughter of our business partner.

But then again, there were so many "should haves", "maybes", "perhaps" and "what ifs". Life was never meant to be easy in the very first place, and thinking about all these regrets would not help in the least.

Helping Izayoi up from the couch, I supported her as she weakly made her way to the stairs. Inuyasha was left sitting alone on the couch, staring intently at his cell phone while Kaede brought him a cup of warm chocolate. I had no idea if he was contemplating contacting Kikyou or Kagome.

Walking alongside me, Izayoi was sighing and dabbing at puffy red eyes with a soaked piece of Kleenex, while her head shook involuntarily with her disbelief at the chain of events that had hit our family.

I felt her hand grip mine, and in that instant when I looked up, our eyes met. She broke the silence.

"Sesshoumaru…"

"Yes?"

"Did you…" She said hesitantly, her eyes apologetic and remorseful. "Did you happen to hear what I said earlier?"

I inhaled deeply and took another step up the stairs. Releasing the breath of air I had been holding, I asked, "Which part?"

That was a lie; I knew she was clearly referring to the part where she went on and on about how she snatched my father from my mother, leaving the latter with nothing. Father had won my custody, and in her fit of fury and hurt, my biological mother had somehow decided to cut off all times with me. Seeing me would most probably remind her of him. But I could not blame Father entirely; Mother had never been an endearing woman worthy of affections. Granted, she had been a stunning beauty in her youth, but that was as far as the desirable traits go. They had met in an arranged marriage, and there was no foundation formed by love or whatsoever. And I was an heir she produced, not a son, if you get what I mean.

"The part about breaking your family up as the third party in your parents' relationship." She said softly.

"It's been so long, and I've already grown up. I am no longer bothered by this." I replied, not knowing what else to say. If I remained silent, she would have assumed I was mad at her, but I genuinely wasn't. As I had mentioned earlier, she was the motherly figure in my life since I was five, and if you asked me, I'd have no one else.

"Oh, I see…" Her voice was sad, and somewhat disappointed. Did I still come across as hostile?

We ascended the rest of the steps slowly, and as she stood outside the room she shared with Father, I turned to her and patted the hand she had placed over mine.

"Yes?" She asked.

I tried to manage the tiniest of smiles. "You must be tired. Have a good rest…Mother."

Her eyes widened almost impossibly as a radiant smile broke through the teary gloom that was all over her face earlier. A fresh wave of tears came, this time out of joy, as her efforts in caring for me and treating me like her own child paid off.

"This is the first time…" She smiled through her tears of joy, before drawing me into a hug. I stiffened at first, but slowly relaxed into it. "My good, good son…"

_

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_

_To be continued…_


	14. Win and Lose

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you for all those very heartfelt and detailed reviews you guys sent in for the earlier chapter. The mixed opinions among the readers have somewhat polarized, going in two ways to form two different camps, one in which they end up together, and one in which they don't. Of course, there is no definite answer as to whether they would end up together or not. I am entertaining a few ideas and scenarios, but the muse has not chosen any yet. The complexity of this web is so extensive; it is making it difficult for me to pull it in. But of course, I adhere to my beliefs of how sometimes you get what you want in life, and sometimes, you just don't.

**The Third Parties**

**Chapter 14: Win and Lose**

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"Thanks for the lift. See you later." Inuyasha said, before he closed the door to the passenger seat. Turning away from my car, he walked to the building in which he worked at, Taisho Electronics (Regional) branch. Instead of speeding away from the sidewalk, I found myself staring at my half-brother's back.

His footsteps were slow, unconfident and those rather broad shoulders of his looked as if they were slumped at the sides. Everything about him had somewhat changed; he became subdued. It was partly the reason why Father had insisted on me sending him to work; no one felt it was safe to trust Inuyasha with his car. The fire raging in those bright amber eyes had died, the spirit and zest he held for life had dissipated into nothingness as well. Even his voice had changed. It was no longer that loud barrage punctuated annoyingly with an obnoxious drawl. Inuyasha seemed to be speaking for the sake of speaking.

In fact, he seemed to be living for the sake of living.

He would be occasionally happy when we make efforts to cheer him up, but once the laughter was over, he would revert back to the gloomy person he now was.

And it was not difficult to see why.

From where I was, I could see two members of the staff whom I didn't recognize nudge each other as they walked behind Inuyasha. Their side profiles revealed the insatiable thirst they had for gossip, but I couldn't even feel surprised. One of them whispered in the other's ear, the other whispered in reply, and both girls burst into laughter. It just reminded me what a joke the Taisho family had become. And could we blame them for gossiping? No. Not in the least, when we were the ones who readily provided the fodder for gossip.

Gone were the days when Inuyasha had female employees waving to him, asking if he wanted to join them for Karaoke sessions and leaving painstakingly prepared lunch boxes and baked goodies on his office desk.

I could understand how odd this sudden change was. Back in Taisho Headquarters, it was pretty much the same situation I faced. Sure enough, I was never immensely popular due to my inability to hop around the office like a bunny on Duracell batteries. But I had commanded a fair share of respect from my subordinates. This fiasco with our personal lives have somewhat diminished the respect and fear everyone had of the Taishos in the office. Perhaps I was being overly sensitive due to the recent spate of events, but I could feel those eyes scrutinizing me as I walked through the common area where they all worked. I could also feel the tongues that were about to wag the moment I retreated into my personal office.

My personality helped me in dealing with this one. To say I didn't care would be a lie. I was aloof and arrogant, but I was not a complete social recluse. Whatever happened around me held the ability to affect me; it was more of whether I allowed these unhappy events to get to me. So I noticed how they were viewing the Taishos, but I did not let it get to me. What could they do, really? Such petty gossip mongers were never meant to be entertained, and besides, they seem to forget they were drawing their salaries from us.

On the other hand, Father and Inuyasha were not doing so well. The latter had always been a very people-oriented person, and this abrupt loss of respect and friendliness from those around him had taken a very heavy toll on his temperament. To make things worse, he was the lead male character in the Taisho drama production, a fact which predisposed him to greater gossip.

Father was semi-retired, if we could consider such a term. He still visited the office from time to time, and was acting as consultant to a few ongoing major projects, but the unfortunate spate of events had led to him being unwilling to turn up at the office. He was the typical Japanese man, and pride was above all to him. How could he take it, especially when the humiliation had been published on a few tabloids? Everyone knew about it.

It had already been almost a month since the incident, but tongues were still wagging. I hadn't heard from Kikyou since then, though her father was a man of values and maintained our business ties. That did take some of the burden off my shoulders.

However, Mr. Takemoto had explicitly expressed that he did not wish to have Inuyasha liaising with them, so the entire project had been passed to me. Everything was purely on business, and conversations revolved around nothing but business. He had indeed managed the dichotomy between business and private life well, but it was making it very hard for us to reach out to Kikyou, who had never turned up for any of those meetings. Mother was really worried, and wanted to know how the poor girl had been doing, but we had no way of finding out. On top of that, there was the baby too. What would Kikyou do with it? Were both mother and child doing well? Father and Mother were terribly worried that she would abort the baby out of spite; it was after all, a life and one of the Taisho bloodline too.

I could recall clearly how my attempt to talk to Mr. Takemoto about Kikyou had earned me nothing but a cold shoulder.

"_Mr. Takemoto."_

"_What is it?"_

"_This is not about business, but-"_

"_Then I believe there is nothing for us to talk about." _He had interrupted curtly, buttoning his blazer before he made his way to the door.

"_How is Kikyou?" _I asked after him._ "Is she well?"_

Blatantly ignoring me, Mr. Takemoto had walked out of the office as if I did not even exist in that room.

It was futile, really. Kikyou had changed her cell phone number to avoid Inuyasha from finding her, and no matter how the latter had tried to look for her at her favorite shopping malls, restaurants and cafés, she was just nowhere to be found.

Speaking of Kikyou made me think of Kagome.

She had broken up with Inuyasha once and for all, as I've heard from him. Ironically enough, the silver lining in the clouds turned out to be the improved brotherly ties between us. He was no longer giving me hell with all the noise he generates and I had grown to be more tolerable of his opinions and thoughts. In fact, our brotherly relationship had somehow transcended to a new level whereby we could just sit down at our patio and knock down a couple of beers together.

It happened a few nights ago, when I was sitting at our patio with only my silent cell phone for company. There was a lot going through my mind – the family issues, the Takemotos, Kaguya, myself, and…Kagome. I missed her so bad. I knew very well; what I was doing was detrimental to my own sanity, but I couldn't get her out of my mind. I just kept thinking of her, to put things simply. I contemplated picking the silent cell phone up to dial her number, but I realized I did not know what I should say to her.

There were so many things I was ready to overlook…I know it's wrong, yes I know it's wrong, and I most probably deserved better, but I knew if she called to tell me she loved me now…

Then I heard approaching footsteps.

"Hey…"It was Inuyasha. "Mind if I joined you?"

Silence meant consent, and he knew better than to wait for a verbal response from me.

Pulling out one of the wrought iron chairs we had in our patio, he sat down opposite me. He looked subdued and tired as he had been since the dramatic turn of events, but there was something more to his facial expression. It held an unspoken sense of…peace.

"I figured you might want to hear this. She called me." He said plainly, before realizing that the significant 'she' in his life could go two ways. "I mean, Kagome."

_She called him? Whatever for?_

Trying to conceal the surprise I was feeling, I asked, "What did she say?"

He exhaled heavily and gave no one in particular a wistful smile. His eyes were transfixed on the blue bellflowers in bloom around our patio, and those eyes clouded over with a film of melancholy and forlornness. Of course, I knew who he was thinking of. 'Kikyou' was the name of bellflowers in Japanese, and these lovely blooms were exactly what the girl on his mind was named after.

"She wanted to break up with me officially." He said. "Which is…in a way, good for both of us. She had been avoiding me since that night, and I guess this is the closure we both needed. I thought it would hurt badly, but ironically, it didn't. Not as much as I had expected it to be. Maybe I am already numb to pain."

I nodded wordlessly. At least they were both free, and were no longer caught up in that triangle they had created.

"She told me she hated me for deceiving her." Inuyasha laughed dryly. "She didn't think it was because I loved her, that I deceived her. She was right; I am selfish. Why did people have to learn only when the situation becomes a mistake? I never intended to hurt her. I genuinely loved her, you know."

His words died and silence soon took over the atmosphere. A moment went by, and I added, "You're not the only one."

He looked at me, and suddenly, an understanding bloomed for the very first time between us as our eyes met. "You loved her very much, didn't you?"

I remained silent to that. He was not entirely right, and I did not know how to refute. A cool night breeze blew, as if playing voyeur to our heartfelt conversation.

Inuyasha peered at me, before quickly looking away into the far distance to save me any potential embarrassment. "You still love her."

Once again, he interpreted my silence accurately.

"Then why don't you let her know?" He asked. "I know she cares a lot about you."

"She's avoiding me." I replied him, staring ahead at the dark screen of my cell phone. I missed the days when I knew she would call at night. "I don't even know what she's doing these days, and I don't want to confront her. So…how about Kikyou?"

"I don't know. I've tried, you know, it wasn't as if I haven't. I've been to her place, only to have her old housekeeper curse me for hurting her. That old hag threatened to set their Rottweiler on me. Then I've tried calling her up at her office, since she changed her cell phone number. But her secretary told me she would not pick it up and I should just leave her alone. What am I going to do? I'm worrying day and night about her and the baby. I miss her so darn badly. Every waking moment is spent thinking of how the hell I am going to clear up the mess I created."

This was the first time I've heard Inuyasha reveal so much of his emotions.

"I think she needs more time."

"But till when? I have no idea how long this is going to go on for. After all, we don't have too much time. She's already more than three months into her pregnancy, the baby would soon grow steadily and Kikyou wouldn't be able to manage alone…"

"We will do something about this."

"We? You know…if I were Kagome, I'd have gone for you." He added with a small laugh, shaking his head in mirth and disbelief at having said something like that. "You make a much better boyfriend than I do. This is gross, but you're a good guy underneath all the shit facades you have. If only I had wizened up earlier….you'd have Kagome, and I'd have Kikyou by my side. We wouldn't be the two lonely men sitting here."

"Who said I was lonely?" I added, and he looked at me in mock disgust before laughing.

"Yeah, yeah. And you sit at the patio alone because you're too popular with girls." Inuyasha said with a laugh, pushing his chair back to stand up. "Guess what? I know the perfect thing for two lonely men. Give me a while."

I nodded with a tiny fraction of a smile as he returned with a six-pack of Asahi beer and two packs of his favorite sour cream and onion potato chips.

"Let's partyyyyy!" He announced with a grin, putting the drinks and snacks down.

I stared at the snacks expressionlessly. "I don't eat sour cream and onion potato chips."

"Quit being such a prick." He retorted good-naturedly. "Get your pompous ass down to earth for once, will ya?"

I gave him a half-smile. "I won't say no to the beer though." I found a can tossed to me the next second, and I caught it in my hands. It was ice cold, which made it all the better.

Inuyasha popped his can again and took a swig of the beer. His eyes closed in relish. "Ahhh…this is good." With that, he tore a bag of chips open and began stuffing his face with those evil little chunks of grease.

"You might want to watch that gut."

"What?! I have perfectly toned abs, you asshole. Do you want to see them? You, by the way, should get a tan. You're bloody fairer than my ass. Not that I want to show it to you." He asked, laughing the entire time. I did not know why he was high; it could be his mind's own way of escaping the unhappiness he had been suffering from recently. "We might as well turn gay."

"Even if I did, you wouldn't be my choice of partner." I delivered my comeback in a deadpan manner, which only elicited greater amusement on his part.

"I would rather die than screw you, Ice King."

"Dreadfully uncouth, as always." I replied, and he shrugged with a nonchalant half-smile on his face.

With that, we settled into the peaceful setting that was our patio under the night sky, while the bellflowers surrounding us nodded in the breeze. We barely talked, and the sounds of the running water of our fountain formed the base notes to the occasional gulp of beer and constant munching of chips.

But it felt nice.

And I learnt something new.

That was how life goes, wasn't it? We win some, and we lose some. I lost the girl I loved, Inuyasha lost the girl he truly loved, but we found our brotherhood.

_

* * *

_

_To be continued…_


	15. A different sort of reunion

Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own Kuchiki Byakuya from Bleach either, though I love him as much as I love Sesshoumaru.

A/N: Kaguya reappears in this chapter, but her appearance would bring about more than we thought it would. Enjoy this new chapter!

**The Third Parties**

**Chapter 15: A different sort of reunion**

* * *

"Alright, this is the final frame for today. Upon emerging from the water, I want you to kneel at this spot, while posing with your arm placed here," The professional camera man instructed, while Kaguya listened intently and did accordingly.

"Yes, yes, just like that. Perfect. So hold this pose for two seconds, turn your head to the right such that you are looking at somewhere behind the camera, before clicking the shutter of the camera you're holding two seconds later. The emphasis is on the waterproof camera and the quick response multiple snapshot function. We want to capture the series of flashes for the TV commercial. Any other questions before we do the shoot?"

Kaguya shook her head to indicate her readiness for the final frame of shots. She was clad in an olive green and gold twist bandeau bikini and low rise bottom, standing on the sandy beaches of Okinawa amidst the swaying coconut trees. The sunlight was almost glaring, illuminating her long brown tresses as they whipped back from her face with the sea breeze.

Then she turned to back face the camera, running towards the rolling waves of the shoreline. The water kissed her toes, before they engulfed her long, shapely legs to reach her thighs, going all the way up until she was standing in the water up to her neck.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Taisho." One of our marketing managers, Shiori, greeted as I walked closer to the set. I nodded in acknowledgement of her greeting, listening as she updated me on the progress of the commercial's making. It was not easy making my way here, and I was not talking about distance. I knew Kaguya would be shooting the series of three TV commercials for our waterproof compact camera, but I did not know if I could bring myself to face her. I only hoped my appearance would not affect her work in any way or cause any form of distraction.

Standing behind the camera, I looked at the girl who loved me more than she loved herself, and readily sacrificed her happiness to return me my freedom. The producer of the commercial gave the cue, and Kaguya submerged herself under the water surface. The camera started rolling, and three seconds later, she started walking sensuously out of the water, tossing her hair and pushing the matted strands back from her face with one hand while holding our product in the other.

She got into a kneeling position at the shoreline where the waves were tenderly caressing the sand, back arched sensually while the glaring sun rays reflected off the water droplets clinging onto her skin. Regarding the camera held in her hand, she turned her head on cue from the producer, and in that single moment, our eyes met directly. I was standing behind the camera after all, and that was where she was supposed to look.

Her eyes widened ever so subtly, filled with surprise, sadness before a touch of peace crept in. They softened when I gave her a small smile and a nod. Those perfectly painted lips turned up as she smiled professionally with an expression of awe and wonder, and her right index finger clicked down on the camera shutter as if she was taking a picture. The video camera caught the flash of the compact camera in her hands, and it was a wrap.

"Thank you, everyone!" She smiled and bowed as she got up from her kneeling position, while her stylists and personal manager rushed to her side to put a bathrobe around her, towel-dry her hair and dust the sand that clung to her skin off. Walking over to the tiny screen where the raw video clips were still unprocessed by the IT experts, Kaguya looked through the videos that had just been taken with the production crew.

It had been taken very professionally indeed, not that I was surprised. Modeling may seem very shallow, but it was not easy in reality. Kaguya had always taken her work very seriously.

"Wait, wait…pause right there."

The producer said, and one of the technical specialists stopped the running video. It was the scene whereby Kaguya was supposed to turn to look at somewhere behind the camera. In other words, it was when our eyes had met.

"This is…perfect. Miss Tsukihara, I absolutely love your facial expression and the emotions reflected in your eyes. You've improved so much since the time we worked together three years ago," He said, while Kaguya smiled and bowed her thanks.

"The idea to look surprised, at peace while adding a hint of forlornness to it fully expressed the beauty of this product, as in how one sees a memorable scene, but though being unable to share it with anyone else, takes a picture instantly…"

That producer did not understand; Kaguya had that look in her eyes because she was genuinely shocked, upset and relieved to see me at the set. From what I knew of her personality and ways, that had not been a façade. It was a true reflection of her feelings. Shock was an understatement. After all, we haven't met each other for nearly two months.

I had done nothing after the breakup, and she had been the one who picked the remnants of the relationship up graciously, announcing the end of the relationship to the media at a press conference for her photobook collection. I had been exposed to countless questions on personal levels from my family and a few closer colleagues, but Kaguya had fended the mass media off alone, answering their vicious and often, blunt questions with a constructed smile on her lips.

To say I feel guilty would be an understatement. I owe her so much, and it was making me detest myself inside.

"Mr. Taisho, what do you think of this?"

_Damn. Did they have to ask me?_

"It's professional and the emotions Miss Tsukihara had expressed are very natural."

Our eyes met in that instant yet again, and she smiled uncomfortably before breaking the eye contact held between us. Was it awkward? Hell, yeah.

More technical jargon was exchanged between the production crew and the IT experts, and I stood in a corner with the marketing crew, discussing the possibilities for pushing the launch date of the new waterproof camera forward before competitors could enter the market. Words were exchanged in a flurry, and I felt guilty a moment later, for I realized I had not been following the conversation. My mind was on someone else, and somehow, I felt like I had to something other than standing here with my people, talking about work.

"Sesshoumaru."

I whipped around to see her standing two feet behind me. Her arms were wrapped around herself, as if she could not trust them to not embrace or touch me, and she was wearing a small smile on her lips.

"Kaguya."

"Do you want to go with me for a walk along the beach?" She asked, her eyes hopeful yet uncertain. "I mean, Shima said we have a good two hours to spare before having to rush to the next program on the schedule."

Shima was her personal manager, and I had noticed how the older woman had refused to look at me directly in the eyes since I appeared on the set. "It would be my pleasure."

So along the sandy beaches of Okinawa we strolled in companionable silence. The sun had somehow been shielded by clouds, so it was bright but not to the extent of being glaringly so.

"How have you been?" I broke the silence.

"Not too bad…I've been busy with work, and there are plans for me to co-design an accessories range and also for an upcoming TV drama next summer."

I nodded, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Oh, that reminds me. I have yet to congratulate you on the box-office ticket sales for your movie."

"Thank you." She smiled wistfully, her toes playing the sand underneath her feet. "I didn't expect it to be such a big hit."

"Well…there are many unexpected things in life." I said softly, knowing full well she would understand what I was referring to.

"I guess…" She replied, and gradually came to a stop in her footsteps, turning to face the vast expanse of sparkling ocean in front of us.

Keeping her eyes on a spot far away on the horizon, she asked, "Can I ask you a question?"

"I'm listening."

But I was not only listening; I was dreading. I wondered what she would ask, and if it concerned the recently ended relationship between us.

"I don't mean to pry, but…is everything going well between you and Miss Higurashi?"

Her voice was quiet, but I could tell she wanted badly to know what was going on. After all, she had let me go so that I could be with Kagome instead of being caught in the middle. It was only justifiable that she wanted to know the progress of our relationship.

"No."

She turned away from the beautiful ocean to look at me. "What do you mean?"

"We didn't even start a relationship, so I guess there's no 'going well' to speak off. In fact, I've not seen her since that night."

Kaguya's eyes widened. "Sesshoumaru, why aren't you doing anything about it? You like her, don't you?"

Taking in a deep breath of the salty ocean breeze, I tried to assuage the pangs of guilt and uneasiness within myself. I couldn't tell if Kaguya sounded upset because I was useless and inefficient in handling my personal affairs, or if she was upset because she had essentially sacrificed for nothing.

I could not bring myself to reply her, and instead, looked at her silently.

"Keeping quiet is not going to help." She said pointedly, though I still could not bring myself to respond.

Another few seconds lapsed, and just when it seemed as if the conversation was heading nowhere, Kaguya asked quietly, "Is it because of me?"

I was very surprised to know she was feeling that way.

"Why would you say that?"

"Somehow, I get the feeling you're not doing anything about the relationship with Miss Higurashi because you would feel bad…you know, feel like you owe me an explanation or something."

She got that part right; my guilt towards her formed part of the basis behind the reluctance to pursue Kagome. How could I feel happy going after another girl when there was someone who sacrificed her happiness?

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me how you feel. But just so you would know," Kaguya held a faraway look in her eyes. "You don't have to feel like you owe me anything."

"Kaguya…"

She gave me a smile, brushing a few strands of damp hair away from her face. "I was the one who initiated the breakup, wasn't I? It was my choice to let you go…you don't have to feel bad."

"But you gave up so much for me-"

"So don't make my sacrifice in vain. I've done all I can, so don't let my efforts go to waste." Kaguya said, the smile lingering on her face. "I admit I am no saint, and I still feel jealous of Miss Higurashi. But I know I lost. And since I made the choice to let you go, I would honor my own decision and your choice. No point in regretting, right?"

"Kaguya…" I felt the breath I've been holding escape. Turning to look at her directly, I asked, "Can we still be friends?"

"I wouldn't be having this conversation with you if you aren't my friend." She smiled. "Anyway, how is your brother?"

"Inuyasha?" I felt a part of my heart constrict again. This was yet another pressing family problem. "He's not doing too well. Kikyou is avoiding him, and her parents are doing all they can to bar Inuyasha from her."

"Oh my…Miss Takemoto...I saw her last week."

My heart almost skipped a beat with the news. Kaguya had seen Kikyou? Not caring if I sounded desperate and frantic, I hurriedly asked. "Where? When?"

"I saw her at my gynecologist's clinic when I went for my annual health check. She was there alone, but she didn't see me though."

"Was she alright? Did she look tired or unwell? Was she pregnant when you saw her?"

Kaguya looked at me strangely. "Of course, why else would she be at a gynecologist's clinic? She looked well, and had a rather prominent baby bump."

My parents would be overjoyed to hear this; they feared Kikyou would do something to hurt herself or the baby.

"I'll text you the address of the clinic later," Kaguya said helpfully. "And you can let your brother know. She was there last Thursday…late afternoon, if I am not mistaken, and it might be a monthly checkup, so you can try to predict when she might turn up."

"Thank you, Kaguya. This means a lot to Inuyasha."

She smiled and shook her head. "No worries. I hope they can salvage the relationship…after all, she's keeping his baby, and that's saying quite a lot, no?"

I nodded in response. Things were looking good for Inuyasha after all. "I'll let him know."

She resumed walking along the beach, before I called out to her.

"Kaguya, wait up!"

"Hm?"

"I haven't had lunch."

"Why?" She asked with a teasing smile. "Were you nervous about seeing me?"

Smiling at her, I shrugged. "Maybe, but now I'm just hungry."

"Is that your way of asking me to join you in going for your late lunch?"

"Yes." I replied, feeling remarkably lighter in terms of spirit. Sometimes, things were so much easier to grasp and appreciate when there are no obligations or duties involved.

With Kaguya as a couple, I had always been facing the pressure to perform as an 'ideal' boyfriend. It had somehow morphed into a sort of competition between the two of us, like how "Sesshoumaru was richer than Kaguya hence he was a good catch" and so on. Personal attributes were all laid out in the open for everyone to critique and weigh, which was not quite the way a genuine relationship should be.

Right now, the stress had dissipated along with the clarifying of the relationship, and I found it so much easier to be myself around her. Granted, our shared past would always mean a soft spot for Kaguya in my heart, and one for me in hers. But that was as far as it would go.

"Is it your treat?"

"Sure," I smiled, watching her walk ahead on the sandy shores. "I was thinking of trying the famous Okinawan Rafute at this nice little teahouse."

"Okinawan Rafute? You mean the braised pork belly dish in sweet dark sauce?" She asked, turning over to ask incredulously. "I can't eat that! It's nothing but layers and layers of fat. And you'd have to eat rice with something savory like that, and that would mean more carbs."

"The fat would have melted into the sauce by the time the marinating process ended, leaving the meat in a quivering tender state." I said. "Besides, Shiori told me if one didn't try the Rafute when one is right here in Okinawa, one cannot be considered to have visited this place. You've gotten skinnier since the last time I saw you…an extra kilo wouldn't hurt."

She pouted as she pondered for a second. "Ahhh whatever! I'll work out twice as hard tomorrow. You must be trying to fatten me up. To think I'm going out on a date next week!"

"A date? With?"

There was a small pinch in a secluded corner of my heart, but I brushed it aside. There was a part of me which still cared for her; to tell me to let her go entirely would be hard. We were all learning to move on, and the pinch in my heart was nothing compared to how hers shattered the night she initiated the breakup.

"Kuchiki Byakuya." She said, her smile radiant. "He asked me out when we met at the Franck Muller flagship store opening ceremony."

I nodded silently. I knew who he was; he was the son of a prominent shipping tycoon, heir to the Kuchiki empire. He did seem like the sort Kaguya would fall for. In fact, he was reputed to be very similar to me in terms of social background, personality and so on. They would make a beautiful couple too.

Pondering, I figured I should be glad she was moving on. And now, I was free to pursue that relationship with Kagome which I had always wished for.

"Why are you so quiet, Sesshoumaru?" Kaguya stopped in her tracks and asked in concern. The concern disappeared to be replaced by cheekiness. "You aren't jealous, are you?"

"Not in the least." I replied, keeping my eyes on the stretch of sandy shore ahead.

But I was. I had a heart after all, and there was definitely jealousy within it. But then again, as I had said, we were all learning to move on, and this bit of jealousy would only help us in the process.

I had honestly believed this would be a terrible reenactment of that fateful night when we broke up, but this…this was a different sort of reunion. As a girlfriend or just a friend, Kaguya would always occupy a special spot in my heart. With that thought in mind, we would move on, and become stronger along the way.

I decided, I would try to contact the girl my heart had been denying myself of tonight.

"Sesshoumaru! Hurry up!"

I nodded with a smile, and ran after her.

_

* * *

_

_To be continued…_


	16. Yet another reunion

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Isn't Kaguya amazing? Now that the problem between her and Sesshoumaru has been solved, it is time to move on to other characters. Enjoy!

**The Third Parties**

**Chapter 16: Yet another reunion**

* * *

Mother had asked me why I was smiling to myself at breakfast. There was nothing particularly funny about the rice, stir-fried radish in Korean _gochujang _or the teriyaki chicken with broccoli, she had said.

Yet I couldn't help the discreet smile that crept into my face whenever no one was looking at me, or whenever I thought no one was looking at me.

"Yeah, you look totally stupid, Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha laughed with a rude sneer, before draining his bowl of _miso_ soup in a long, noisy gulp. He knew the reason behind my smile though.

Mother had flashed him a warning look, peering at him over her rice. "Inuyasha, don't give your brother a hard time."

I hadblatantly ignored his comment, but the knowing look shared between Mother and Father went unnoticed by me. I had always known they were wise people, as I came to find out later.

I thought they wouldn't understand even if I did tell them.

You see, I was about to meet her.

I was finally about to meet Higurashi Kagome after work for dinner.

It had been a good three months since everything came crashing down upon us. The names Takemoto Kikyou and Higurashi Kagome had somehow vanished almost entirely from our family vocabulary; it was not that we were evading the topic. Rather, both Inuyasha and I had somehow sensed that our parents understood probing on their part would only complicate matters. They also seemed to understand that both their sons were already trying their hardest to undo the wrongs that had taken place.

And most importantly, they had faith in us to do it right.

So no one asked about the ladies; it was as if they were simply awaiting the impending good news from us. I could only hope Father and Mother were right in predicting the outcome. Inuyasha had been going to the gynecologist's almost daily despite the possibility of being labeled a psycho, waiting discreetly outside the clinic. It had almost been a month since Kaguya saw Kikyou, and I hoped things would work out fine.

After all, I was determined not to let my loved ones down again. Father and Mother were getting on in age; they did not deserve to be put through all the emotional stress brought about by the younger generation. I was determined to put an end to the problems once and for all.

And right now, I was sitting in a small, quaint ramen shop in downtown Tokyo. I had a two-seater booth to myself in a relatively quiet corner, far away from the eating counter where two chefs were all hollering at the top of their voices as they cooked up piping hot bowls of noodles. The savory aromas were heavy in the slightly greasy air, the sort of smell you'd expect to linger in your hair and on your clothes long after you've left the place.

This change of environment, instead of the usual restaurants in central Tokyo, Ginza or hotels, was meant to allow Kagome to relax. She had been brought up in a lower middle-income household with very humble roots; fanciful settings were something she could never really get used to. She would only be intimidated.

On top of that, this ramen shop was her personal favorite. She loved nothing more than a good, hearty bowl of Tonkotsu ramen. It was her idea of comfort food, economical and filling. And I believed it was only in a comfortable setting where we could really talk about everything.

The bell behind the door chimed when someone slid it open, and sure enough, there she was, standing in the door frame. I waved, and she returned my wave with a small smile, before weaving around the cluttered tables to reach me.

Dressed in a demure basic scoop back tee and jeans, she looked comfortable and at peace with herself. There was no trace of the discomfort she had displayed on the night of the banquet. She was after all, not one of the flashy ladies from the upper social classes whom I was so used to interacting with. But that was what I loved about her – Kagome was a breath of fresh air in my mundane upper-class life.

"Hey," She smiled, settling comfortably into her seat.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet me," I said, studying her face. How long had I not seen this beautiful face? She looked as pretty as ever, but there was something different swimming in her eyes. Inclining my head in the direction of the kitchen counter, I continued, "I've ordered the tonkotsu ramen for you-"

"With extra _wakame_ seaweed and bean sprouts?" She asked hopefully, smiling at me.

The smile was so innocent; it was something I wanted to protect forever.

"Yeah, your usual order." I replied, looking into those sparkling eyes of hers. A few seconds lapsed with us locked in eye contact, before she broke it off uneasily. Her hands were no longer resting on the table. They were presumably folded in her lap.

"You're the best, Sesshoumaru." She assumed a bright smile, as if I had not noticed her earlier uneasiness. Her body language had betrayed her. Things did not seem as simple as I thought they would be.

I started, "Kagome, I-"

Her eyes widened in what I interpreted to be anxiety for a split second, but before I could continue my sentence, two bowls of ramen had been placed in front of us by the waiter. By then, the initial flustered expression had disappeared entirely from her face, masked by a cheery façade. The steam rising up from the hot soup seemed to hint that this was indeed a bad time to broach the topic.

"The ramen smells fantastic! Look at the creamy color of the soup!" Kagome once again exclaimed a little too brightly. She was never the best actress around. "We should start eating before it gets cold."

There went my chance of striking a serious conversation with her.

Pulling a pair of chopsticks out from the holder by the side of the table, she started on her dinner, and conveniently evading the conversation that I was hoping to have with her. Comments on the food and other random topics like work were made amidst appreciative hums, but there was not a moment when she talked about issues like Inuyasha, Kikyou, Kaguya or us, for that matter.

She took an appreciative mouthful of the springy noodles, chewing silently while I tried to eat as if I was genuinely enjoying it. To be very honest, the ramen tasted bland and rubbery in my mouth. Apparently, good food had to be enjoyed with a joyous heart. If so, I wondered if her bowl of ramen tasted good.

Was she genuinely happy?

"How is the ramen, Kagome?"

Her chopsticks paused in mid-air, and she looked confused before glancing at me somewhat suspiciously.

"It is delicious…why?"

"No, nothing." I replied, knowing very well the ramen couldn't have tasted good for her if it was so horrible for me. "It's just that I find it good, so I was wondering if you…"

"Oh."

Silence ensued, and both of us took the readily available escape route that was the ramen. She resumed eating, feigning interest in the bean sprouts.

Why did we have to entertain each other with these stupid lies every time?

We both know how pretentious this crappy conversation was, but no one was taking the initiative to articulate what we really were feeling on the inside. We were supposedly best friends, weren't we? And best friends tell each other everything.

But that realization made me happy for some strange reason. The fact that she could not bring herself to be herself around me hinted that we were not really best friends. It was more than platonic friendship; as judged from the awkward tension lingering in between us. If we were purely friends, she would have no reservations.

I was more than just a friend to her, or so I hope.

Dinner ended naturally, and we exited the tiny shop amidst choruses of 'thank you' and 'please visit again' from the chefs and waiters. The quiet street on which the shop was situated formed a stark contrast to the noisy interior.

"Thank you for the meal, Sesshoumaru."

I shrugged lightly. "Kagome, I think we-"

She walked ahead, and I knew it was not as if she had anywhere in particular to go. All she wanted to was to escape the conversation about us, and where we would go from here. But pretending to not have heard me was not the way to go about doing it. I know it was going to be hard given the ghosts of the past haunting us, but I was mentally prepared to do anything for her. From the day I knew I loved her, I had been prepared.

I was prepared to hold her hand and guide her through all the difficulties we might face; hardship had never been a fear of mine. After talking to Kaguya and Inuyasha, I was even surer of my stance.

But the sad part was how this had never been about me. It was all about her, and the barrier she had so carefully constructed prevented me from reaching out to her heart.

And for the same time, I did not bother to chip lightly at her barrier. I attacked it directly.

Calling after her, I asked, "Why are you evading?"

Her back stilled, and she stood rooted to the ground. The street was silent except for a few punks hanging out at the darker corners, and there was no way she could feign deafness to my words.

I strode up to her and turned so that I was standing in front of her.

Her head lowered instinctively, and I closed my eyes for three seconds to block the frustration that was about to manifest itself.

"Why?" I asked quietly.

"Don't ask," Kagome replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "Don't ask me something I can't answer."

I held her by the shoulders a little more roughly than I had intended to. "Why can't you? Why is it so hard for us to talk?"

"It won't be a fairy tale ending and you know it."

"How do you expect me to know if you refuse to face up to reality with me?" I retorted, before my cell phone started ringing.

"It is not as easy as it seems, Sesshoumaru." She said stubbornly, her jaw set. "There are too many factors involved."

I wanted to tell her it was not; situations were up to human beings to manipulate. Destiny was in our own hands, and it was the will to change things that really counted.

"Kagome, you know how I feel-"

She looked away at nothing in particular. "You should pick the call up."

The ringing did not cease, and I sighed, releasing my hold on her to reach into my briefcase for my phone.

Pulling the ringing device out, I saw the word 'Mother' flashing across the screen. Why would she be calling me? I clearly recall having told her I was dining out and would not be home until later in the night.

"Hello?"

"_Oh thank goodness, Sesshoumaru…"_ Her voice was breathless and panicky, and I could picture her anxious expression.

"What is it, Mother?" I asked urgently.

"_You have to come back immediately…I…Kikyou…hospital," _She said incoherently, and I had to tell her to take a deep breath before continuing. _"Inuyasha called to tell us…Kikyou is in hospital, and Noguchi has gone home…Your father and I are really, really worried…"_

Father and Mother's old chauffeur had already gone home, so there was no one around to take them to the hospital to visit Kikyou.

"Where's Inuyasha?" I asked.

"_He's at the hospital with her..."_

My gut clenched with the nagging worry of the many unknowns that visited my mind. Why was Kikyou suddenly admitted into hospital? And how did Inuyasha enter the picture? Something must be wrong, dreadfully so.

Kagome must have noticed the worry lurking beneath my usual expressionless face, for she was looking at me in concern and trying to ask via eye contact if everything was alright.

"I understand. I'll be home in twenty minutes, Mother. Let Father know, and get ready to leave the house once I reach. Find out which hospital and ward details from Inuyasha in the meantime."

With that, I hung up.

"What happened? Did something happen to Inuyasha? Is he alright?" Kagome asked anxiously, her hand gripping my arm tightly.

I looked at her silently for a good five seconds, before she realized what she had just done. The grip on my arm was instantly loosened, and she looked at the ground between us again.

"I was just concerned…he is a friend, after all…"

I dismissed the jealousy I felt despite knowing very well things were over between them. Would she be so worried if I was the one who might be lying in hospital?

Then it dawned on me.

Maybe this was one of the crucial underlying factors that stood in our way, at least for now. She was still very concerned about Inuyasha's well-being, more than she should be, just like how I was still subconsciously jealous over it.

We could never really start anything if we were still haunted by these complexes, could we?

I guess what we needed is not just the attraction between us. It was also not just about how much I love her, or how far I was willing to go for her.

We needed time. Maybe I was being naïve, but I guess time was the only thing I could count on now.

"He is fine."

My reply seemed to have made her even more self-conscious of her earlier display of anxiety, for she simply acknowledged it with a nod.

"It is Kikyou who is in hospital."

That caught her attention. "What happened to her? Is she alright?"

"I have no idea. Inuyasha's with her at the hospital and no one else at home knows of her current condition."

"Oh dear…you should get going," Kagome said worriedly, pressing her palm gently against my arm to urge me in the direction of the parking lots. "Do you need me to go with-"

I looked at her quietly, unsure of how I should say this. "Kagome, it wouldn't be too appropriate…"

My words once again made her highly self-conscious of her earlier question, for the atmosphere between us once again took a turn for awkwardness. She looked as if she was mentally chiding herself for having instinctively asked such an absurd question.

This was yet another factor standing in our way, I guess. Would she ever be able to face my family normally? Would this strange awkwardness always exist?

"Yeah…I guess." She said softly.

"I'm sorry," I apologized immediately, feeling my heart twist at seeing the pained expression on her face. "I mean, it's-"

"It's okay, I understand. It's not your fault, Sesshoumaru."

I reached for her hand and held it in mine, though her fingers did not soften to mold themselves into my hold. Rather, it felt stiff and uneasy.

"I'll send you home first." I said, leading her in the direction of my car. "Let's go."

She did not budge, and instead, pulled her hand out of my hold.

"Kagome?"

"It's out of the way," She said matter-of-factly. "You'd be wasting a lot of time if you were to send me home first before going back. I can go back by myself…they need you more, Sesshoumaru."

"But-"

"I'll be alright."

"I'll just have to drive faster, Kagome."

"Don't do that. That's something I don't want you to do." She replied. "Just go. I'll be fine, really."

I weighed the conflicting situation; she did have a point, they needed me. If she were any other girl, I could have allowed her to accompany me to the hospital. But this was Higurashi Kagome, and there was something else that came along with that name.

"Text me when you reach home."

She smiled somewhat forlornly, and nodded. With that, I left her behind, running in the direction of the parking lot to rush back home.

_

* * *

To be continued…_


	17. The Bellflower

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you for the lovely reviews of the previous chapter! You guys are fantastic! Happy ending or not, you know I love you all.

**The Third Parties**

**Chapter 17: The Bellflower**

* * *

We reached the hospital, and I dropped Father and Mother off at the taxi pick-up point so they could go meet Inuyasha first. No one knew what had happened to Kikyou and why Inuyasha had been around, and the fear of the unknown had always been the strongest fear. Anything could have happened, and there were so many worries on various levels. I knew part of Father was terribly worried over the ties between the Taisho family and the Takemotos. Just when ties seemed as if they could not be strained any further, Kikyou had to be admitted into hospital and Inuyasha presumably had something to do with it.

I hurriedly parked my car, before taking the elevator from the basement parking lot to where the rest were supposedly waiting. I hated taking hospital elevators; the stench of antiseptic was almost claustrophobia-inducing. So in a rather morbid manner, as if I was dying to see what had happened to Kikyou, I was glad when the elevator came to a halt.

Even at this time, Kagome managed to slip into my thoughts. For some bizarre reason, she had the uncanny ability to appear in my mind under all circumstances. I started worrying when I thought of her; she was all alone on that dark street, and there were a few high school punks loitering around the area.

What if she came to harm? Was she well on her way home?

I didn't even like the idea of her feeling lonely.

I took another step forward, and my cell phone beeped with an incoming text message. It read, "I'm back at home. Thanks for dinner! =)"

Knowing she was safe and sound in her apartment made the nagging worry in my heart subside, and I could almost feel my footsteps become lighter.

Two more steps, and a realization hit me.

What the fuck is wrong with me? Why am I always worrying about her? From the time she was in the third grade and I, in the fifth, I had been concerned about all her affairs. I took it upon myself to do everything I could for her. If I really gave it thought, I had pretty much brought everything upon myself.

Kagome had never asked me to worry. I was the one who gladly chose to do so.

Whether it was worth it or not is not a question I hold the answer to. Besides, I had to remind myself there was something more important that required my attentions at the moment.

The soles of my shoes squeaked disturbingly against linoleum as I ran down the long corridor to search for signs of familiar faces. I squinted when the glaring white fluorescent lights shone down so harshly at certain spots along the way; I could never understand why they had to make the place so dreary and uncomfortable. Was a hospital not dreary enough?

It did not take me long to find them, for I could hear them before I turned around the corner.

"Why is it always you?" That was Mrs. Takemoto. I bit my lip and inhaled to brace myself for the impending barrage of words. "Why can't you just leave Kikyou alone? The last time she saw you, she had to be rushed into hospital. Three months later, the same thing is happening again!"

From where I was, I could see Inuyasha sitting down on one of the cheap blue plastic chairs, his eyes blank and glassy as he stared ahead into nothingness. They were all outside the operating theatre, where the sign above was still brightly-lit, signifying that the surgery was not quite over yet. Mother was holding him protectively, tears rolling down her face, while Father sat in stony silence. Mr. Takemoto was sitting beside him, and neither man made a sound. What they wore on their faces were expressions of worry blended with mutual support in the face of a common situation.

"Will you only be satisfied if my poor daughter dies? Why torture her in this way?" Mrs. Takemoto continued, while Inuyasha sat motionless.

"She was fine until she met you!" The older woman added bitterly.

_Fuck it. To hell with formalities._

"He'd never do that."

All five pairs of eyes turned to face me, and all reflected shock at my uncharacteristic outburst. There were two options laid out in front of me – I could just shut up for now and stand in a corner, or continue defending my half-brother.

I must have been possessed then, for I took the latter option. It did not take too much thinking on my part to do that.

"Sesshoumaru?" Mother called out through her tears, and there was a warning in her wizened eyes that told me to let matters rest.

I disobeyed her.

"He is as miserable as everyone else here, if not more." I stated, taking a few steps towards all of them. "Give him a break."

"But Kikyou is lying in there because of him! How can I not be upset…she's my daughter…"

I tried to soften my tone in the face of Mrs. Takemoto's agitation. The last thing I wanted now was to get embroiled in a huge fight with her outside the operating theatre and create a scene that might make the omnipresent paparazzi rub their hands in glee.

"I'm not saying it's wrong to be upset. But blaming Inuyasha will not do anything to help Kikyou." I said. "You're worried because Kikyou's your child, so what about Inuyasha? What makes you think he is not upset? Kikyou's baby is his as well."

Mrs. Takemoto fell silent, and I noticed how she was silently shaking with unshed tears and immense worry. Mother walked over to her and held her trembling hands. "How can I not understand your pain? I am a mother as well, and I've long treated Kikyou as if she were my own daughter."

The two women started talking, and I took the opportunity to pat Inuyasha on the back. "Come on, let's go somewhere."

He looked up at me, and my breath hitched. It was as if a time slip had just occurred, and we were transported back to the times when he was merely four, and I, six. Those bright amber eyes, darker in shade compared to mine, had been red-rimmed and shining with tears as well. But at that time, it was merely a small playground accident whereby he had tumbled down the slide. If only things were so simple. Growing up was not easy indeed, and it was strange now, to recall how badly we wanted to grow up when we were little.

Inuyasha broke the eye contact, and inclined his head in the direction of the operating theatre.

"I can't…"

It was then when Mr. Takemoto spoke up. "Inuyasha."

Looking at the man who came so close to becoming his father-in-law, Inuyasha fought to face the impending scolding and harsh words bravely. "Yes, Mr. Takemoto?"

But they never came.

"Just go with Sesshoumaru." Mr. Takemoto said, before adding assuringly. "I'll give you a call on your cell phone once Kikyou's out."

After all, I realized, they were all bonded in their love for Kikyou.

Nodding gratefully to the older man, I walked away from the waiting area with Inuyasha following behind. We took the elevator down to the ground level where the open gardens were, before he went ahead to find a bench and I went to the convenience store at the basement.

It did not take me too long to buy what I needed, and it was easy for me to spot him in the garden. Not surprisingly, he was sitting among the patches of bellflowers, or _kikyou_ in Japanese. The red polo tees he was so fond of wearing made a stark contrast to the dark, elegant and composed blue of the flowers.

"Hey." I tore the foil cover open, and held the bottle of Meiji strawberry milk I just bought in front of his face.

His eyes widened slightly at the sight of it, and the familiar creamy strawberry scent hit our senses.

"This…" He wanted to say something, but was momentarily lost for words. The Meiji strawberry milk was exactly what I bought to pacify him with years ago when he had tumbled down that slide, and I had also opened it up for him the same way I just did.

Apparently, it was a fragment of childhood memory which I had retained in the recesses of my mind.

That was before our relationship as half-brothers had soured, before childish innocence developed into budding territorial instincts. Companionship was no longer valued, and instead, became viewed as a form of competition. On top of that, I was extremely bitter as my biological mother was the one who clearly lost. That thought manifested itself in my teenage mind, and somehow, I felt like I was her representative. I had to win Inuyasha at anything we did, so as to avenge my mother's loss and suffering. I did not know if I was doing it subconsciously to gain some sort of acknowledgement from her, which was stupid, since she never bothered to contact me after the divorce.

"Here, drink it."

"Thanks…_Aniki_." The sound of him calling me _'Aniki'_, or 'big brother' in common household Japanese, made my heart clench almost painfully. It was nostalgic to say the least. I thought of the old times when we were still running around barefooted in sandpits and catching small fish in the ditches, him clad in his thin Ninja Turtle cotton tee, when American cartoon first found its way to Japan.

He had addressed me by _'Aniki'_ then, though I never really did display much affection for him. It was _'Aniki'_ this, _'Aniki'_ that, and it was like having a constant talking shadow behind me. I hated it.

But now, it sounded so…nice, in a nostalgic way.

"This was…" He started, regarding the bottle with an unreadable expression before taking it in his hands. He smiled wistfully. "I don't drink Meiji strawberry milk any more. I'm no longer the kid who tumbled down the slide and was crying for my _Aniki_."

So he remembered as well.

"Yeah. You're no longer the kid." I replied, sitting down beside him on the wooden bench. "But I am still your _Aniki_."

He smiled wistfully and took a long gulp of the bright pink beverage.

"It tastes the same." Inuyasha commented, extending the bottle to me. "Try it."

How long have we not shared a drink from the same bottle?

The more we grew, the more everything became so individualistic. I had my own room, he had his. I had my own car, he had his. I had my own office, and he had his. Everything was done alone, and our rooms became so self-sufficient in terms of computers, TV sets, and even bathrooms, which eliminated the need for daily interaction. I could spend days in my own enclosed space without having to see him, and though we lived under the same roof in a house, it felt more like we were living in different apartment units in the same building.

I took the bottle from him and took a sip.

Years ago, I had taken a sip from the bottle too. Back then, Meiji strawberry milk had been his favorite drink, and to take more than a sip would mean less of the drink for him.

I guessed the habit hadn't changed. I passed the bottle back to him.

"What happened to Kikyou?" I asked after a moment of silence.

His eyes clouded over in obvious pain.

"I went to the clinic today," He started, his face caught in a grimace that betrayed his urge to cry. "I didn't expect to see her…I mean, I've been going there for so many days and I thought today would be another futile wait. But she was there for her checkup…"

"_Kikyou."_

_She turned around, before those eyes widened with disbelief and shock. The initial shock soon gave way to a sorrowful blend of longing and aloofness. She had apparently not forgiven him._

_Dressed in a smart formal maternity tunic, she had obviously came to the clinic after work for a checkup. Unlike some of the other women there who had their husbands with them, poring through baby magazines and catalogues, she was all alone._

_Her baby bump was prominent, since she was already close to six months of pregnancy. Pregnancy usually resulted in the mother gaining some weight, but Kikyou looked as if she had lost weight. Her face was even sharper than before, and her arms and legs were thinner. With the exception of the growing bump at her abdomen, Kikyou appeared smaller and weaker._

_But she held her head up high, and instantly turned to go back to where the elevator was._

"_Kikyou, wait!" Inuyasha called, running over to try to hold her by the arm._

_She pulled her arm out of reach, staring stonily at the ascending numbers by the side of the elevator doors. Kikyou was evidently counting down, counting down to the time when she could just leave and avoid Inuyasha._

"_Please, Kikyou, you can hit or scold me, but please don't ignore me. Can we sit down and talk this over?"_

_She kept silent, placing a hand protectively over her baby bump as if to shield the developing child from the ramblings from its father. Her icy mask was chipping to reveal the sadness underneath it all, and also, her inner conflict as to whether she should forgive or hate him for life._

"_Don't do this…the baby deserves a complete family." _

_Her eyes softened at hearing his words._

_The elevator doors opened with a soft 'ding'. The large photograph of the smiling baby hung in the elevator seemed to be mocking the two of them._

_Kikyou made a move to enter the empty elevator, before Inuyasha rushed forward to stop her in her tracks, blocking the entrance to the elevator._

"_Kikyou, no! I've looked for you everywhere…I won't let you leave me again." Inuyasha said, hoping his words would get through to her._

"_Excuse me."_

"_No," He said stubbornly, before his voice softened. "How can you bear to see our baby grow up in a single-parent family?"_

_Kikyou looked up and stared at Inuyasha coldly in the eyes. It made him sad to know how those eyes had once gazed upon him with so much tenderness, and was now filled with hostility and pain._

"_It beats having to grow up with a cheating liar for a father." She said icily, despite the natural instinct to throw herself into his embrace once again. 'Now if you don't mind, please step aside."_

"_Kikyou, don't do this to me. Allow me to explain…I'm willing to change, I'll do anything as long as you will forgive me." Inuyasha begged. Groveling was most probably something the Inuyasha of the past would never do, but for Kikyou and the baby, pride was never too big to swallow._

_She stared at him, clearly upset and frustrated by now. It was not easy seeing her ex-fiancé, and much less having him say words that threw her into confusion again. She hated herself for being unable to hate him. Plus, pregnancy was working together with her rising tide of emotions to make her feel nauseous. All she wanted to do was to get back onto her car, turn on the air-conditioning and take a sip of the refreshing chrysanthemum tea which her mother had prepared for her._

"_You're not going to go, are you?" She asked, pressing her hand harder against her swollen belly when the baby kicked from within. "Then I'll go."_

_Kikyou turned to the emergency stairway by the elevator, intending to walk down to the basement parking lot from the fourth level where the clinic was._

"_Kikyou, please!" Inuyasha called after her._

_The door to the emergency stairway opened and shut in his face, before he heard the dull thuds of cardboard boxes against the ground, followed by a scream which made the blood in his veins turn into iced water._

"_Kikyou!" Inuyasha shouted, pushing the door open onto to see the woman he loved sprawled at the bottom of the flight of steps, surrounded by randomly strewn cardboard and splintered wooden boxes. The emergency stairway had apparently been used by the janitors as a store area, and Kikyou had somehow lost her balance and fell down the stairs when the stacked boxes came tumbling down. _

"_I'm coming down, Kikyou. Hang in there!"_

_Kikyou was groaning in pain and making small whimpers as she huddled up into a ball on the ground. Her forehead was matted with perspiration, as Inuyasha noted after he ran down the stairs two steps at a time, and her face was pale as a sheet._

"_Inuyasha…our baby…help…" Kikyou cried piteously, gripping Inuyasha's arm till her knuckles turned white. Her other arm was cradling her baby bump protectively, as if trying to reassure her baby. Her breaths were shallow and rapid as pain wracked her. "It hurts, it hurts so bad…"_

_Inuyasha's lips were almost trembling with the shock and the unexpectedness of the situation. He had never ever felt genuine fear like this. But he had to be strong; Kikyou needed him, and their baby needed him too. Brushing her damp hair away from her face, he reached for his cell phone with his other hand._

"_I'll call for help…I'll call right now. Nothing will happen to our baby, I promise. Hang in there, Kikyou, hang in there! I'll get you out of here safely…" He assured her despite being tremendously worried himself, before shouting frantically for help. "Is anyone there? Please, we need help! Help!"_

_Kikyou cried in pain when Inuyasha tried to lift her in his arms. She buried her face in his neck, and he could feel the cold perspiration against his skin. "Inuyasha, please…you have to save our baby no matter what…I don't want to lose our baby…"_

_That was when Inuyasha noticed something wet against his arm. Then he saw it, and his heart skipped a beat._

_He saw blood, blood that was trickling down slowly from between Kikyou's legs._

"And now," He fought tears of anguish and anxiety, drawing deep shaky breaths to calm his tightly-wound nerves. "She's lying in there fighting for our baby's life, while all I can do is wait."

I did not know what to say to that. All I could manage was, "I'll wait with you."

Then I was oddly reminded of the night we had sat together at our patio under the stars, drinking beer and pigging out on potato chips amidst the blooming bellflowers. He had looked at the bellflowers with an expression of forlornness and endearment.

The bellflowers at the patio had long wilted with time, and the bellflower he had wanted to protect the most was slowly wilting behind the operating theatre doors.

If Inuyasha had known this fateful meeting would lead to his bellflower wilting, I believe he would have chosen to admire it silently from afar, and let it bloom strong and resilient by itself, just like what he did with those at the patio.

_

* * *

_

_To be continued…_


	18. A piece of tainted paper

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: I'm back from Hong Kong so here's chapter 18! I know I've been so dreadfully evil to all the poor characters. But I've sort of been in an evil mood lately…*evil cackles*

**The Third Parties**

**Chapter 18: A piece of tainted paper**

* * *

"_I think of life as a piece of paper. At the very least, that's what I think as of now."_

I despised myself for acting like a cyberspace stalker, clinging on to every single word she typed on her blog, desperate for loopholes that could possibly expose more of her inner thoughts. The cup of tea prepared by Kaede sat forgotten on the edge of my desk as I scrolled down to read her latest blog entry.

"_Everyone begins like a piece of blank paper; pristine and white, smelling crisp like stacks of fresh A4 paper. We work hard to keep it clean. At least, I did. I tried to keep it clean even as it started to yellow with age, and we grew less innocent with every passing year."_

"_And then, my paper got tainted. Somewhere in the journey called life, I dirtied my piece of paper. Some people dirty it with a pencil, and could simply erase it without leaving traces. Then there are some who dirty it with a pen, and though the mark of liquid correction fluid would always remain, they nonetheless are able to mask it. You wouldn't be able to see the flaw unless you looked carefully." _

"_Lastly, there are those who accidentally spill a whole bottle of ink over theirs. You stare at the mess, horrified, but yet watch in morbid fascination as the ink spread. That was how my mistake was."_

I suppressed a sigh as I forced my eyes to continue reading in the dim light of my bedroom. Did she really think that way; that her mistake was so grave to the extent of being unsalvageable?

"_You know how it feels like when you stain a piece of clean paper. There are so many options. Since it was already tainted, it wouldn't hurt to taint it more. Since the efforts to keep it clean have failed, would it matter if there were more stains added to it? That was one option. To let the white get so black, to the extent where black would dominate and it no longer seemed tainted."_

"_Another option would be to salvage. Surely, the stains would remain like hideous scars that serve to remind of the mistake. But at least something has been done, and if people were willing to overlook the scars, the piece of paper would still be considered clean. Lastly, there was always the option of throwing this old piece of paper away and pulling out a new piece from the tray."_

"_I guess I'd take a new piece of paper. But that doesn't mean I'll leave the older piece tainted. I'll do something, and hopefully, it wouldn't look as dreadful as it seems right now."_

My index finger ran along the scroll wheel of the mouse in a subconscious attempt to find out more, but that was the end of the entry. Sighing, I reached for my tea and took a long sip, feeling the warm liquid slide down my throat soothingly.

What exactly was she trying to say?

So much had happened lately, and the flow of things had made it rather difficult for me to talk to her.

I had no idea what was going on in her mind, and had no way of finding out other than reading her blog. Our relationship, or whatever one would label it, was dragging on and on like a bad movie. It was so pathetic; I couldn't even bear to feel sorry for myself.

Picking my cell phone up, I dialed the number I was so accustomed to. But somewhere in the recesses of my mind, a little voice suggested I did something else. So instead of calling her on my cell phone, which would enable her to see my name via the caller ID function, I opted for calling her using the home telephone set. Our number was privately registered, so she wouldn't be able to find out who the call was from.

"_Hello?"_

"It's me."

Genuine surprise was evident in her voice. _"Sesshoumaru?"_

"I need to talk to you."

"_I…I'm kinda busy-"_

"Kagome." My voice was firm, bordering on being angry. "I _need_ to talk to you. Please."

I could imagine her face – it was most probably marred by the conflicting emotions she was feeling. Evidently, part of her wanted to talk, while part of her did not know if she should be doing so. She was hiding something, and I was almost a hundred per cent sure of it.

A soft sigh followed, and she asked, _"How is everything going?"_

"Are you referring to Kikyou?"

"_Yes."_ Kagome's voice was small, clearly reflecting guilt on her part. _"Is she and the baby alright?"_

"They are out of immediate danger," I replied, involuntarily thinking of the poor girl lying in hospital. "But Kikyou suffered a partially dislocated placenta when she fell down the stairs, which apparently is very serious for a third trimester pregnancy. Any greater dislocation and she'd suffer a late term miscarriage."

"_Oh dear…"_

"So for now, she'd have to be hospitalized and has to stay in bed as much as possible in order to allow the fetus to stabilize. I visited her yesterday…she's still very weak, but doing relatively well according to the doctor."

"_Thank goodness she's alright…"_ I could hear relief flooding the voice over the telephone. _"And…Inuyasha?"_

"He took some time off from work, so he can go to the hospital everyday. I've approved his long-term leave." I said. "But it's not going too well between the two of them. Kikyou's parents have somewhat forgiven him having seen how concerned and upset he has been since Kikyou's hospitalization. When she had regained consciousness from the surgery, she had been happy to see everyone, including me and my parents. But she had ignored Inuyasha, no matter what he tried to do."

Kagome was silent on the other end, and once again I had no idea of knowing what was on her mind.

"We've tried to leave them alone in the room so that Inuyasha could try to mend the broken relationship, but she had apparently got upset again. After hearing some yelling from inside the hospital ward, we discovered her huddled up in pain on the bed. The doctors reminded us that she was not to be agitated, since the risk of losing the child would only increase with fluctuations of the mother's temperament."

"_But…"_ Kagome's voice was quiet though it held a determined edge to it. _"She should know he cares for her."_

That caught me by surprise; it was the last thing I thought I would hear from Kagome.

"_I'm not trying to prove a point or whatsoever,"_ She continued, as if worried I might get the wrong idea. _"But…we sort of broke up with him at the same time. He had not contacted me since I told him I want a clean break, but he was trying to look for Kikyou the entire time. It tells a lot."_

I found myself biting on the inside of my lower lip with a strange feeling in my gut. "Are you…jealous?"

The words came out of my mouth so naturally before I could even entertain the thought of filtering them. They just left me, escaping my lips directly along a one way track from my mind.

"_No, Sesshoumaru. No." _She replied. The swiftness of her reply told me she was being honest, for she had never been a good liar to begin with. _"But it told me a lot. You can say it opened my eyes to everything."_

She drew an intake of breath, and continued. _"I'm sure at some point, Inuyasha liked both of us. But to him, I was the vacation hotspot, and Kikyou was his home. I don't know if you get what I mean, but if I were the latest ice cream flavor at Ben and Jerry's, Kikyou would be his Haagen Daz classic vanilla. Higurashi Kagome was novelty – a short, quick diversion from tradition. Years went by and it became a duty. I became greedier, and started wishing to replace the tradition, naïve as it may sound now."_

"Kagome…"

"_Hm?"_

"Don't." My heart ached as I heard the sad resignation flood her voice. It was as if she fought a battle which ended in defeat, but she held her pride as a consolation. "Don't put yourself down."

She did not reply to that. _"But ultimately, he would return to his comfort zone. That's where he truly wants to be. And I should respect that, I guess."_

"_You know, Sesshoumaru, people like to say how things like love can never be measured on a scale. But I beg to differ. I believe it can be measured. For one, I know for now Kikyou loves Inuyasha more than I do. If I were her…I don't think I would have the emotional strength in me to keep his baby. Since the engagement dinner, all I wanted to do was to have nothing to do with Inuyasha. But Kikyou was different."_

"She has always been a very strong and independent woman to begin with." I replied, trying to reason with Kagome.

"_No, it's more than that. The answer is simple, isn't it? I'd have hated to admit this, but she loves him way more than I ever could. I had obviously wandered into a foreign territory and tried to claim it as my personal comfort zone."_

"Then you should know what to do."

I could virtually picture her wistful, self-mocking smile at the other end of the line as she pondered over my words. _"Should? After I have done everything that I shouldn't have, I no longer hold the ability to judge what I should do."_

She was evading my hidden implication, and it was something we both know very well.

"There are…_right_ things which you can do, Kagome. It's never too late for that." My grip on the receiver was becoming increasingly tight, and the fingertips were starting to hurt with the reduction of blood flow through the capillaries.

"_What's right and what's wrong? Everything I had thought was right turned out to be wrong. How can you be so certain, Sesshoumaru?"_

Something within me snapped, and words once again escaped in a raging rush which I couldn't stop.

"Can you be honest with yourself for once? Please, just for this one time, be honest with yourself, Kagome. Stop running away."

And before she could respond to that, or hang up on me for that matter, I continued, "I am certain and I can be so certain because I am speaking from my heart. I can be the right person for you, Kagome. I can be your comfort zone…if you allow me to do so."

Silence ensued.

"I'm sure you know how I feel for you. I love you, Higurashi Kagome. I have never stopped caring for you since we were in elementary school, eating snacks outside the convenience store. My feelings have never changed…being there for you is all I want to-"

"_I'm not worth it, Sesshoumaru."_

"You are."

I had taken the step and come so far; it made no sense to retreat now. I did not care if I sounded like I was begging. Somehow, it had been bottled up within me for so long; I had to get it off my chest.

"_I don't deserve your kindness and love. All I have brought upon you is heartache. You're a good man, Sesshoumaru. But can't you see, what you're doing what I have been doing. I'm sorry to say this…but somewhere in time, it became a personal routine to care for Higurashi Kagome, and I became a 'must', not a 'want'. You want me, not only because you love me, but also because you're so accustomed to the routine of being around me."_

At that time, I could not understand what she was trying to say. All I knew was I wanted her so badly for myself; I was ready to refute any form of opposition she might come up with.

"_It's not going to be a healthy relationship if we force it to begin, Sesshoumaru. I know you love me… I'm stupid but I'm not blind. I know being with you would make me a very happy girl. But I don't have the courage to step into another relationship right now."_

"I'm not saying we have to start something, Kagome-"

"_You are. It's just that you don't realize it. We need time."_ She said softly, and I could hear her sniffle, albeit discreetly. _"Lots of it."_

I exhaled and looked up at the darkened ceiling in the dim lighting of the room. My deepest secret desire for a fairytale ending was obviously not to be. The fresh lavender air freshener was almost nauseating.

"You don't feel anything...?"

"_I do, Sesshoumaru. I care for you a lot, and I finally know who the one who truly loves me is. But it is precisely because I know; hence I also know this is the worst time for anything to begin. I want to fall in love with you because of love. Not because of this parasitic dependency I have developed on you over the years." _

I started to protest. "Kagome, I have never, ever, thought of you as a-"

"_Listen…you have to help me with this. You have to learn to let go, so I can learn to grow up."_

"Is that what you mean by your latest blog entry?"

"_You read my blog?"_ She seemed surprised, as if she hadn't expected me to. But the surprise quickly faded to be replaced by a sense of peace and acknowledgement of reality.

"_Then you should understand. You're the Tokyo University graduate…if I can write it, I am sure you'd have no problems deciphering this piece of random life philosophy."_ She added with a dry laugh.

"Give me a chance," I realized I knew what she had meant all along; it was just that I was unwilling to face up to it. "Let me help you remove the taint."

"_No. The only person who can do so is me. It's my mess to clear, not yours, Sesshoumaru."_ She refused, before adding in a voice so soft and gentle. _"You have to give yourself a break. You've always been there for everyone, albeit discreetly, in your own stoic, silent manner…but have you really thought of yourself?"_

I couldn't reply her, because I knew she was right. Somewhere in time, I had lost the sense of living for myself. Living my life perfectly close to ideal social benchmarks did not make me a success story, contrary to what people believed. It just made me too good to be true, and I ended up caught in the steel trap I created.

"_But I promise. I swear I'll clean it up. Believe me?"_

"Yes." That was all I could manage, and once again, this conversation left me with no answers or whatsoever.

Just look at what I did.

I spent half my life detesting Inuyasha for things he was not guilty of. I was simply sour over the fact that my biological mother lost out in the marriage, and from then, I had taken all the burdens of hatred upon my shoulders. It was stupid indeed, when my mother most probably did not even give a damn.

Then I took it all upon myself to take care of Kagome, living my life like a fool, running around minding her matters. Love, friendship, altruism…whatever. I couldn't even label it.

It was this habit of protecting those I hold dear that killed me in some aspects. Sometimes it killed me; sometimes it killed others. Kaguya was a prime example of this. In what way was she not lovely? In what way was she not good enough? Most men would find her the perfect dream girl. But I had trodden upon her in my eagerness to take care of Kagome, leaving her shattered.

Me, elite?

No.

They don't even go in the same sentence.

Me. Screwed up.

_

* * *

_

_To be continued…_

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this one! The plot moves on in the next chapter, so pardon this little filler here on the characters' inner thoughts.

Thank you for your support!


	19. Unthinkable

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: I cannot believe I left this story alone for 3 months. But of course, it should be ending in approximately 2 chapters, so I will work on it! Here is a new chapter for those of you who remember and enjoy this story.

**Title: The Third Parties**

**Chapter 19: Unthinkable**

* * *

Then the unthinkable happened.

I was simply reading the newspapers on the couch in the living room at night, when Mother interrupted my reading politely.

"Sesshoumaru, can I talk to you?"

Nodding, I placed the papers down on the coffee table as she took her place on the couch beside me.

"I believe there's something you need to know." Mother's tone was serious, and from the way she put it, I figured out it most probably had something to do with Kikyou, Inuyasha or Kagome.

"It's Kagome," She continued, as if reading my thoughts. "She came by the hospital today."

That wasn't something I was expecting to hear, and surprise was an understatement as I tried to find reasons for Kagome's appearance at the hospital. But then again, I should have known it when she told me over the phone that she believed Inuyasha deserved Kikyou's understanding.

"Did she see her?" I asked, knowing fully well that Mother understood the 'she' to be Kagome and the 'her', Kikyou.

Mother nodded. "I was there with Kikyou when Kagome knocked and walked through the door with a basket of fruits and a bouquet of violet hyacinths, which we later found out to mean 'I'm sorry' in floriography. Needless to say, Kikyou was initially shocked and withdrew into silence, but Kagome did not give up."

"Of course, being worried for the well-being of Kikyou and her unborn baby, I tried to ask Kagome to leave, for fear of agitating Kikyou further. After all, the doctors have repeatedly reminded us not to upset Kikyou in any way. I could feel the poor girl trembling as Kagome came closer to her, but there was nothing I could do. Then Kagome pulled a chair to Kikyou's bed side and started talking to her."

By now, my old habits were kicking up again, and I felt my fingers itching to reach out for my cell phone to dial her number so I could check on her. In my mind, she must be suffering again, and I would naturally play my usual role of hero to the damsel in distress.

Then Mother continued recounting the earlier incident, and I listened intently as she told me how Kagome had told Kikyou to look at her before telling her what she truly felt about this hopeless mess that was our lives.

"_He cares for you a lot more than he ever did for me."_

"…_what do you mean?" Kikyou said breathily, clenching her fist around the corner of the blanket spread over her outstretched legs. "If he truly cared, he would not have gone to you in the first place. He would not have cheated on me with you, betraying all the trust I had in him. Did he tell you to do this? If so, I'd advise you to save your efforts. It is not going to work."_

"_No. Inuyasha did not tell me to do this. In fact, I have not been in contact with him ever since the wedding reception. I am here on my own accord. I did a lot of thinking, and as much as a part of me hurts to think about it, the fact remains that you are a lot more important to him that I can ever wish to be."_

_Seeing how Kikyou has gone silent upon hearing that, Kagome continued with a wistful smile, "If you were wondering what happened after the wedding reception…I will let you know. He did not come groveling at my door step; not even once. He dropped me like a hot potato, or maybe I dropped him like a hot potato…I don't know. No one made an effort to contact the other, and it simply revealed how much I truly meant to him." _

"_I don't deny we had a good time while it lasted," Kagome said, feeling guilty over the way Kikyou flinched as she heard that. "But he definitely did not love me like he loves you. From what I heard from Sesshoumaru, he had been trying again and again to look you up. Everyday, without fail, he would go to the gynecologist's clinic to wait for you. And now, he is on unpaid leave from work just so that he can come and keep you company, even when you act as if he is invisible to you."_

"_You make him sound like a saint," Kikyou said bitterly, staring at nothingness ahead. "But I'd call it guilt. Besides, it is not about me. It is about his child. He is merely concerned over the baby."_

_Kagome drew a heavy breath. "Now that you've mentioned the baby, don't you think it proves my point further? For one, Kikyou…you know you love him more than I do. I know myself; I would never have the courage to keep his baby. Besides, he has always been extremely cautious when we got intimate…" Kagome paused when she noticed a trail of tears roll down Kikyou's cheek. "…I am the plaything. But you, Kikyou, are the girlfriend and the future wife."_

"_Then why did he lie to me again and again? I have always trusted him, and like the rest of the family, I thought you were seeing Sesshoumaru and regarded you as a prospective sister-in-law. Somehow, I have never expected my fiancé to have an underground relationship with you! Do you know how it hurts to be deceived again and again?"_

_Kagome could not help it; she had told herself that no matter what, she would not shed a tear over this man again. But still, she found acrid tears welling up in her eyes. "At least he bothered to lie to you. Inuyasha kept lying to you because he cared about how you feel about him. I knew I was the third party from the very beginning; you were always in the relationship. I was the shameful secret; you are the official woman in his life."_

"_I can never hate Inuyasha, and I know you can't bring yourself to hate him either. But I can accept reality for what it is. I don't matter as much to him as you do…sad, I know, but it is the truth."_

_Wiping her tears away with her head held high, Kagome stood up and looked at Kikyou with an unreadable expression in her eyes._

"_I know I am the last person who has the right to act like a saint," She said quietly. "But neither am I trying to be one. All I want is to let you see how there is a man who truly loves and treasures you. He may have made a mistake, but at least he is willing to try again and again to seek your forgiveness. That, at least to me, is something you should give him credit for."_

"…and that was what Kagome had said, before she left with a polite bow." Mother recounted. "As much as I refuse to comment on the affairs of your lives, I believe Kagome had been very brave indeed. It was definitely not easy, for a girl to pluck up the courage to face the other woman in her relationship, no matter who is the so-called official or secret one."

"What did Kikyou do after Kagome had left?" I asked. Somehow, realization slowly dawned upon me. She seemed to be a lot braver and independent than I had ever given her credit for, which led me to think if her parasitic dependence on me had been something I created in her. In my self-imposed duties to take care of her and treat her like a porcelain doll, I might have created a needy and clingy Kagome, underestimating her abilities.

But why did she do something so…drastic and daring? She should have known how talking to Kikyou directly could have gone both ways – either for the better, or for the worse.

Mother smiled sadly and patted my knee. "You might not believe this, son, but Kikyou started talking to Inuyasha again."

I must have revealed the surprise I was feeling, for Mother adding with a reassuring smile. "Yes, you heard me right. Inuyasha was overwhelmed with joy, and I could practically hear him smile as he called me over the phone to tell me about this. He brought Kikyou dinner to the hospital as usual and left it by her bed so she could eat it by herself, but when he was about to go out of the door, he heard her call out to him. She had said, _'Have you had dinner? I can't finish all the food by myself.'_ and the silly boy practically sprinted back to her bedside."

I gave a small smile to express the happiness I felt for Inuyasha, though this move on Kagome's part most probably meant game over on my part. Somehow I knew, deep within myself, that something was wrong. Maybe not _wrong_, but definitely out of my expectations or imagination.

Then as I sat at my study desk half an hour later in my room, I scrolled down the latest entry in her blog. Once again, I was playing the cyberspace stalker, checking for possible updates which I did not dare to seek from her personally for fear of hearing something I did not wish to hear.

Silently, I read the new page of words which allowed me a peek into her heart.

"_Finally, I did something right. It made me feel alive again; a feeling which I had somehow forgotten after such a long time of living mistake after mistake. I thought I would dissolve into a pathetic, weepy mess upon leaving the hospital, but no, I shed one tear. That was all, and I walked out into the sunshine with a smile. No longer did my shoulders feel as if the weight of the world and my sins were on them, and I could breathe easy."_

"_Just when I thought I couldn't be happier, I received a text message on my cell phone. It did not say a lot, in fact, it was only made up of two words. But it made me happier than I have ever been in a long time. It read 'Thank You', and I know I had really done something right for once. Now, I feel like I am ready to do more right. World, here I come. Don't run away, because I am coming to you."_

What on earth was she talking about? I tried to read into her words, trying to decipher the meanings she might have hidden within the lines of writing. She had always teased me for being the highly-educated Todai graduate, but she did not realize how she, despite not having the same academic qualifications, had always managed to confuse and confound me.

But as if she had read my mind again, I heard the dull vibration of my cellphone against the tabletop. Sure enough, it was her.

"Hey." I picked it up.

"Sesshoumaru?" Her voice was soft as always, but it lacked the usual burden that clung to it.

"Hm." There were a million things I wanted to ask and tell her, but being me, the only word I could manage was my trademark 'hm'.

"I have good news to share with you." Her voice was suddenly bright and cheery, but she could not fool me; I knew almost immediately that she was feigning it. But I would not call her bluff; I wanted to see what she would tell me. Should love for someone be so difficult? We seemed to be playing such awkward games with each other all the time, trying to hide this, hide that and pretend everything was okay.

"What is it?"

She sighed on the other end, giving her own game away as if she sensed there was no point in feigning further with me. "I am leaving…in fact, I am now at the departure hall at Narita Airport."

"I'll come over now. Wait for me."

"Sesshoumaru, please…don't. I am doing this because I have to. I am finally free; I want to explore and live."

"Where? Why?"

"Hongkong. Then perhaps, somewhere else. I don't know, just anywhere in the world, wherever it takes me."

My grip on my cellphone involuntarily tightened. "Don't go."

"Sesshoumaru…listen to me." She said softly, and I could almost hear her smile. "Just now, as I was looking out of the window in the taxi, I saw the night sky. It was so dark, so vast…and I realized the world out there is waiting for me. There's so much more to life than the little bubble which I used to lock myself in."

I continued listening to her. Her words did not really strike me as hard as I thought they would; rather I was simply listening to her beautiful voice, hoping to commit as much of it to memory as I possibly could.

"I figured, if going through heartbreak could make me grow up, why did I use to fear it so badly? The truest form of release from this pain would lie in admitting this was a terrible mistake. He has the right to go, and I have the right to live my life properly. No longer would I cling on blindly, and given how vast the world is…I believe I will, at least, be able to fulfill one dream. So…I quitted my job, you know, since I didn't really love my boss, and figured I would pursue my interest in photography for awhile."

Unable to trust my voice, all I could manage was "Hm."

"I will come back to Japan," She tried to inject some laughter into the conversation, as if trying to convince me everything was good and happy. "It's not as if I'll be gone forever. Besides, you know I don't have that much money to lead that nomadic lifestyle for too long. But I want to do this by myself. I want to get to know myself again."

"Hm." I did not trust my voice, but I figured it might be the last time I hear from her for a long time to come, so I added something, "Take care, Kagome. Stay safe."

Her voice fell oddly quiet, and I thought I caught the slightest sniffle from the other end of the line. "You too, Sesshoumaru…take good care of yourself. Stop staying up late to do work, and try to sleep early. And don't skip meals; I know you have the bad habit of doing that when work piles up…"

The words trailed off, and somehow, we settled into silence as both of us waited for her to leave Japan and everything that had been part of her life till date behind.

A silent moment lapsed as we listened to each other's breathing from over the line, until she broke the silence.

"I've got to go…they're notifying the passengers via the PA system." She said. "I will miss you."

"I will miss you too."

She exhaled lightly, and I heard her say, in an awkwardly lingering manner, "…goodbye, Sesshoumaru."

"Goodbye, Kagome. Have a safe trip."

"Thanks. I will…goodbye."

With that, we hung up.

And she left.

Oddly enough, as I stared at my cellphone which would no longer receive those late night calls with pitiful crying on the other end, I felt a strange sense of peace overcome me.

_

* * *

_

_To be continued…_

A/N: The next chapter will be the last! Thank you to everyone who has been waiting so patiently for this story. I love you dear readers.


	20. Home

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: This is the final chapter, and I would like to dedicate it to my dear friend Tana_san. Thank you, Jen, for always believing in me and giving me encouragement with your kind words.

I really hope you guys will like it. It is such an emotional moment for me to come to the end of a long story.

**Title: The Third Parties**

**Chapter 20: Home**

* * *

"Damn it! This dumb, worthless piece of crap is obviously not working."

I heard two bangs, which were unmistakably fists against the computer desk. I chuckled inwardly; that was SO characteristic of my half-brother.

"Inuyasha, stop blaming the poor webcam for your own stupidity. You did not attach it properly, Einstein." A feminine voice came from the other end of the blank screen. "And how many times have we gone through the issue of you using your colorful language in front of Emiko?"

"Oh, Kikyou darling, I am so sorry I did not manage to cure my son of his potty mouth disease when he was a teen. His brother is the only one who can keep him in check, and now that he's not around, Inuyasha seemed to have become worse."

That had to be Father.

Then I heard an adorable baby voice going "Gah gah, booooooo. Bwaaa!", erupting into a fit of giggles before Inuyasha yelled in what was clearly pain.

"Ouch!! Kikyou! Get. My. Hair. Out. From. There.!! NOW!!!"

"Inuyasha, stop yelling! It is hurting everyone's ears. Your brother does not need to hear your barrage of nonsense." Mother's voice could be heard. "Look, even Sesshoumaru is amused by your childish rants."

"Sesshoumaru? Can you see us now?" Kikyou questioned, obviously ignoring Inuyasha's whimpers as my baby niece Emiko continued to tug mercilessly at her father's hair.

"Hello, son!" Father and Mother chorused.

"Hello Father, Mother," I had to chuckle, it was pretty funny to be speaking to a blank screen. "And Kikyou, no. All I see is the keyboard."

"Inuyasha!! Turn the thing so it is pointing in _our_ direction. How do you expect Sesshoumaru to see us when the camera is not even pointing at us?" Kikyou commanded. "Honestly, I find myself praying fervently that this stupidity is _NOT_ hereditary. Don't you agree with Mommy, Emiko?"

"Gahaha Mamamama." Came the reply, whatever that meant in baby lingo, eliciting laughter throughout.

"Geez, why on earth am I allowing you guys to gang up on me?" Inuyasha grumbled as he continued fiddling with the webcam.

"Oh shut up, Inuyasha." Father remarked, successfully eliciting another round of laughter.

Then the focus shifted, and I found myself looking at five familiar faces with very different facial expressions. My parents were waving frantically at the screen, with Father smiling like he struck the first prize of the lottery and Mother scrutinizing me concernedly. My half-brother was still looking distressed as he tried to pry his hair out of his daughter's chubby fist, while his wife appeared relieved that the webcam session was finally working and my baby niece screamed in innocent joy as I waved to her. "Hellooo Shoshomawoooo!!"

"That actually means 'Sesshoumaru'," Kikyou laughed, holding up Emiko's hand to wave back at me. "We've been teaching her and telling her about you."

"Hello, little Emiko. How are you? I am glad everyone's looking well."

"Bahhh. Booboo weee!" She laughed again, before Mother spoke up.

"Son, did you lose weight again? Have you been eating well? You seem to have gotten thinner again. Darling, you should never have agreed to send Sesshoumaru to our company's branch office in Singapore for five years!"

Then Father laughed and said, "Don't mind your mother, Sesshoumaru. She has been rather paranoid over your well-being, now that you're not staying with us at home. She can never cook your favorite dishes without going on and on about how you're not around to eat them. I always have to assure her how you look the same size as you were before you left Japan."

"Promise me you will not skip meals," Mother added, and I nodded.

"And obviously, my assurances have fallen on deaf ears." Father mused in amused exasperation.

"Well, sucks to be you, old man! Seriously, Sesshoumaru looks the same to me, as ugly as always." Inuyasha laughed before yelping as Kikyou pinched him rather forcefully on the arm. "Ouch! What did you do that for?"

"Inuyasha," I began, as all eyes flicked back to the laptop screen. "I would appreciate it if my little niece is spared from your impressive command of colorful language."

"Whatever, ice king." He retorted good-naturedly. "At least she would learn to talk around me instead of going _'hn'_ at everything."

I shook my head, amused at Inuyasha's trademark mannerisms. The boy had finally become a father, and from what I could see and hear, my entire family was living very blissfully indeed. Father and Mother were both looking radiant and healthy, now that they have their little granddaughter Emiko to bring so much joy to them. Kikyou was just telling me in an email how the two new grandparents are heads over heels in love with the little girl, bringing her on all sorts of outings and lavishing her with toys and pretty clothes. Inuyasha and Kikyou, on the other hand, have learned to move on and leave the matters of the past behind them. Of course, no one could or should ever forget that such unhappy events had taken place in the past, but that was how things work, wasn't it? People learn from mistakes and move on bravely.

Despite their bickering and the constant stabs Kikyou makes at Inuyasha's obvious lack of common sense in certain areas, I could see how loving the two of them are. Even in front of the computer screen, I would catch him smiling at her endearingly when she wasn't noticing, and notice how his hand would sometimes rest on her head or her shoulders.

Emiko, was of course, growing to be more and more adorable with every passing day. Even though I was away from Japan, Inuyasha and Kikyou made the constant effort to integrate me into my niece's life by showing her pictures of me, encouraging interaction via webcam and also, sending me photographs and pieces of baby artwork via snail mail.

Then there was Kaguya, who had sent me some of her wedding pictures via email two weeks ago. She had gotten engaged to Kuchiki Byakuya whom she had been seeing for more than a year, and would soon be retiring early from her modeling career to focus on her marriage and new family. It was a decision which she had thought long and hard about, and also, something which I fully support. Modeling might be Kaguya's number one passion, and she did well in it to be at the top of her game, but the industry had always been too complicated for a girl with her innate soft-heartedness. So, in a way, I was glad she came to the decision to quit.

Everyone was still the same, with the exception of me. I believed I changed. For the better or the worse, I don't really know, but somehow I could see things from more perspectives now. And I had past experiences to reflect upon and depend on for guidance when I need it. With that, I am more determined to do things right if I do get a second chance.

It wasn't as if I really enjoy being so far away from the rest of the family and my friends, but I figured I needed the break just like _she_ did. So when Father and the board of directors came up with the decision to set up a branch company in Singapore to tap into the Southeast Asian market more effectively, I had practically jumped at the opportunity, volunteering myself to head the new organization and oversee the operations for a period of at least five years until things have stabilized.

The sizeable number of Japanese expatriates here in Singapore has made it pretty easy for me to adapt to the new lifestyle, and I have managed to make a few friends here. I picked up more English and tried to learn Mandarin, though I could never pronounce some of the sounds perfectly despite attending classes. However, I was still by myself most of the time, and I've discovered new hobbies in photography, baking, visiting cultural sites and museums.

They might not be too impressive, as compared to some other hobbies, but they were better than my unhealthy hobby of playing the desperate hero to the damsel-in-distress. But I missed her, I really did. I missed her face, her eyes, her voice…her everything.

Gone were the times when she was simply a fifteen-minute drive away from me, and I missed the times we spent together sitting outside the convenience store near her apartment building, eating snacks by the roadside as we used to do as children. Her old phone number was no longer in use, as if she was really determined to avoid me once and for all, but I did receive an occasional postcard from her, with 'occasional' being once every six months or so. I've received one from Tibet, one from Taiwan, another from Cambodia, each telling me she was well and living her life fruitfully. She had sent them to my address in Japan. But there was never an address to which I could send a reply and tell her I was now in Singapore, so all I could do was read and treasure those postcards.

However, she did update her blog regularly with the pictures she had taken of every country she visited, and I was glad to see how she was looking healthy and happy in those photographs. I sincerely wished she was happier than before; Kagome never deserved to be sad. To put it honestly, I had been rather gloomy after her departure, wondering just why was it that I did not deserve to be loved. But then again, I managed to see light.

What was the point of having Kagome by my side if she was miserable? I'd rather she be happy; that was the extent of my feelings for her. I'd rather she be somewhere else on earth, living life the way she liked it to be.

So as always, my weekly Saturday morning webcam sessions with my family ended in laughter on their side and amused chuckles on mine. The same thing happened every week – Emiko would say the new words she had learned (I swear, babies learn really, really fast), Mother would fuss about my apparent weight loss while Father would disagree. The latter would ask me for updates on the company's progress, only to get shushed by everyone who unanimously agreed that 'precious Skype time should not be wasted on boring topics like work' and how he should just email me directly if he wanted updates.

On the other hand, Kikyou would update me on Emiko's progress and also, share things like new recipes, recommend interesting TV programs, or get me to buy some exotic Southeast Asian spices to send over to her in Japan (she's currently into the whole Thai cuisine thing). As for Inuyasha…well, let's just say he is still the same old Inuyasha. So conversations would be undoubtedly dominated by a whole load of vulgar remarks which I would shudder to recall, sarcastic stabs at each other's ego and good-natured criticisms.

I could not keep the half-smile off my face as I recalled snippets of the funny conversations we had in the day as I now strolled along at Esplanade Park near Marina Bay, taking in the impressive sights of the modern and historical architecture of the area. The buildings were all lit up; forming a captivating night scene with the skyline against the inky black canvas of night sky, and a balmy breeze was gently blowing. A live band was playing at some fancy outdoor pub in a distance. Sounds of small waves rolling on the river conjured up a soothing rhythm, and my thoughts once again went to a certain raven-haired girl as I watched couples sit around chatting, laughing and cuddling.

Times like these made me think of her, and sadly, they made me long for her too. So I took in the panoramic night view silently, watching the faraway Ferris wheel turn ever so slowly.

I took my new DSLR camera out from its casing and tried to capture a few shots of the night view along the Esplanade Park. Focusing on the majestic Ferris wheel in the distance, which would undoubtedly bring Emiko much joy when I send the picture to her, my finger pressed down on the shutter button. A few snapshots were taken, and just as I was about to take another picture, a passer-by had stepped into the range of the picture, and the bright flash caught the individual by surprise.

Unable to keep the little tinge of annoyance within my mind, I was oddly surprised to hear what was undoubtedly a Japanese-accented voice apologizing profusely in English.

"I am so sorry, I did not see-"

The voice died when I put my camera down to look up abruptly at its owner. The earlier annoyance I felt dissipated with the balmy night breeze, before surprise and an overwhelming joy overcame me. My eyes met widened eyes of clear, sparkling brown, and the world stopped spinning around me as I struggled to believe that what my eyes saw was real.

"Sesshoumaru…?" She broke the silence. Her voice was uncertain, as if in doubt, just like I was.

It was her. It was really her.

Fate had not forgotten us after all.

"Kagome..."

Then her beautiful face, even more mesmerizing than my memories remembered it to be, graced me with a heartfelt smile which was accompanied by a few unshed tears in her large, expressive eyes.

Returning her smile with one of my own, I stepped forward as she too, closed in the distance between us. Her footsteps became quicker with every step she took in my direction, and it wasn't long before she threw herself into my embrace, paying no heed to the onlookers around us. My arms wrapped fiercely around her, and I pressed my face into the top of her head, inhaling the familiar fragrance that could only belong to her.

She withdrew slightly from the embrace to look at me. "Why are you…?"

Placing a finger on her lips, I shook my head. "Shhhh."

Explanations were not needed; I was pretty sure we have a lot of time to catch up in the future. For now, I just wanted to hold her forever.

"I missed you, Sesshoumaru…" She said, looking up into my eyes. "I was planning to go home soon, but I never expected to see you here…"

"Home, to me, is where you are." I told her. This was how simple life should be.

I cradled her face in my palms, memorizing the way her skin felt under mine. The tropical heat made her skin slightly damp and oily, but I couldn't care less. This was Kagome, and that was all that mattered.

"Don't go away again…" I whispered softly, watching her eyes soften with growing emotion. "Stay by my side."

She nodded, and I saw two tears fall down onto the ground between us from her closed eyelids. Then she threw her hands around me again, shedding tears of joy and longing into my chest.

"Welcome home…" Kagome whispered, pulling my face down to hers to meet her warm lips.

And we were home.

_

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_The End._

A/N: We have come to the end of The Third Parties. Somehow, a part of me feels really glad that I've completed this story which I grew to love so much, but on the other hand, I know I'd miss this story. Never had I written a story which delved so deep into human emotions and reality, and it is a very welcoming change from some of my ongoing works. I enjoyed writing this story greatly, and I really appreciate the heartfelt and sincere reviews I've received from you lovely readers.

The Third Parties is also the first time I saw my review page resemble a forum more than…well, a review page. It got everyone thinking and gaining new perspectives, and somehow, I felt myself grow along with the story. Thank you so much for giving this story a chance, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Love,

MissTeak


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